Pokemon: Ultimate Masters
by Metal Mewtwo
Summary: Almost a year after the events of Pokemon: Origins, Ash has moved forward and is about to enter the Pokemon Masters Tournament, where familiar faces, brand-new Pokemon, and other surprises await him.
1. New Day, New Challenge

This is the next episode, if you will, in the saga of Pokémon I started with Pokémon: Origins. It isn't necessary to read that story to enjoy this one (since the two storylines aren't connected besides the fact they happen in the same timeline), but it should provide a little back-information. So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy my latest story, Pokémon: Ultimate Masters  
  
Pokémon: Ultimate Masters  
  
"Chapter 1: New Day, New Challenge"  
  
Ash Ketchum woke up to the sound of his alarm clock blaring. He quickly shut it off and hopped out of bed. Today was the day he'd been waiting for since that warm, early summer day almost nine years ago when he began his Pokémon journey. He had missed the last two Pokémon Masters Tournaments while he was out on his adventures in the Orange Islands and Hoenn, but there was nothing in the world that could keep him from missing this one.   
  
The Pokémon Masters Tournament is the Olympics of Pokémon training. Taking place only once every four years, this championship unites Pokémon trainers from all corners of the planet. Only trainers who have won at least one League Championship are sent invitations to this elite tournament. As a winner of the Orange and Hoenn Leagues, Ash was excited to have the chance to be in this year's field of 128 trainers and to compete against other League champs to determine the greatest Pokémon Master in the world. He hoped he would be the next to join the rank of Ultimate Master.  
  
After fulfilling his promise to his mom of finishing school, he had trained almost everyday for nearly a year, working off all the rust he had collected in the previous years. That was the most dedication he had shown for anything in his entire life. He was ready. Looking at the alarm clock, he noticed it was now 8:59 AM.  
  
"Still have a whole hour until I have to be at the Professor's," Ash said. He quickly got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast.  
  
"Morning Mom," he said, entering the kitchen. He saw Pikachu eating his breakfast and Mimey, Delia Ketchum's Mr. Mime, sweeping up the kitchen floor, but his mom was nowhere to be found.  
  
"Where could she be?" Ash wondered.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu said, pointing to something on the fridge. Ash walked over to the refrigerator door and noticed there was a note from his mother stuck to it.  
  
"Dear Ash," he said, reading from the letter. "I went to the market this morning. I hope to be back in time to see you off to the tournament, but if not, I want you to know that I love you. Professor Oak and I will be joining you down there tomorrow, so be on your best behavior until we get there. Have a safe trip, and tell Brock and Misty I said hi. Love, Mom."  
  
"Aww, thanks Mom," Ash said. He then noticed there was a P.S. at the bottom on the letter.  
  
"P.S.," he continued to read, "I hope you didn't forget to set your clock ahead for Daylight Savings Time last night."  
  
Ash dropped the letter in shock.  
  
"Daylight Savings Time?!" he exclaimed. He looked up at the kitchen clock, which read 10:05.  
  
"Waaa, I'm late! Pikachu, we gotta get going!"  
  
Ash grabbed hold of Pikachu, pulling his Pokemon away from its breakfast, and rushed out the door just as his mom was coming home.  
  
"Bye Mom, late, no time to talk!" Ash said quickly as he ran past her.  
  
"Why am I not surprised?" Delia Ketchum asked herself as she watched her son run off down the path to Professor Oak's.  
  
*****  
  
"Are you ever on time for anything?" Gary Oak asked. Ash, out of breath and panting heavily from his run over, couldn't answer. He was too exhausted. He hadn't run that fast since he was late for his first day of Pokémon training.  
  
"At least he's here," Professor Oak said. "There's still plenty of time for him to make the boat, but we better hurry just in case."  
  
"Right, Professor," Ash said, regaining his breath and ability to speak. Professor Oak led Ash down to the basement of his laboratory. The room was one massive storage area for Pokémon, holding all the Pokémon both he and Gary had caught over the years, as well as many from the Professor's own collection. They quickly located the shelf where Ash's PokéBalls were kept. Each one contained a Pokémon friend Ash had made over his many journeys.  
  
"Do you know which Pokémon you'll be taking with you?" Professor Oak asked. "You know Masters Tournament rules only allow you to bring six Pokémon with you to the island. Once you're there, you won't be able to exchange any of them with the ones you leave here, except for injury exceptions. I suggest you choose wisely."  
  
"I will, Professor," Ash said, looking over the PokéBalls. "Since I'm taking Pikachu, of course, that leaves me with five more choices."  
  
Ash immediately grabbed of the PokéBalls from the shelf and attached it to his belt.  
  
"There's no way I'm leaving without this one," Ash said. After careful consideration, he chose the rest of the Pokémon he would take with him and attached all their PokéBalls onto his belt. It was tough for him to decide, as all his Pokémon had battled bravely for him during his Pokémon trainer career. Still, he felt confident in his final decisions.  
  
"Are you sure that's the team you want?" Professor Oak asked.  
  
"I'm certain," Ash said. "I know I have the best chance to win with this team."  
  
"Well then let's get you on your way," said Professor Oak, hearing the doorbell ring upstairs. "I think your friends are here."  
  
*****  
  
"About time you got here," Ash said to his best friends, Misty and Brock. "I thought I was going to have to go to the tournament alone."  
  
"You know we'd never let you go and make a fool of yourself on the world's biggest stage without us," Misty teased, giving Ash a hug and a kiss.  
  
"Having been there for you at the Indigo, Johto, and Hoenn League Championships," Brock said, "and knowing what kind of trouble you got into at all three of them, I felt I had to come along to watch out for you."  
  
"Yeah, right Brock," Ash said with a chuckle. "I'm glad to have both of you with me for this one. It means a lot. With you and my Pokémon by my side, there's no way I can lose!"  
  
Ash gave his familiar V-pose, which brought a smile to Misty's face. She hadn't seen that side of Ash in awhile. It reminded her of the over-confident, loudmouth, annoying little 10-year old she met all those years ago. After all, that over-confident, loudmouth, annoying little 10-year-old was the boy she fell in love with. She missed that Ash. He had become so serious in past years, ever since the incident with Team Rocket and giving up Pokémon training for school. She knew that he had grown up. They all had. She would love him no matter what he became, but still, seeing he still had that inner child within him brought joy to her heart.  
  
"So are we ready to go?" she asked, with that beaming smile still upon her face.  
  
"Yup, all that's left are the good-byes," Ash said, turning to his mom.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't get all choked up this time, honey," Delia said. "Just take care of yourself and I'll see you down there before you know it."  
  
"I will, Mom," Ash said, giving his mom a hug.  
  
'Good luck, Ashy," Gary said, giving his former rival-turned friend a thumbs-up. "You're going to need it."  
  
"Thanks, Gary," Ash replied. "After I win, I'll let you come over and look at my trophy as much as you want."  
  
"Take care, Ash," Tracey said. "I'll make sure to watch your matches on TV while I stay here and take care of the Professor's lab. Try you best and never give up."  
  
"Thanks Tracey, I won't forget that."  
  
"Ash," Professor Oak said, putting his hand on his pupil's shoulder. "You're the most gifted Pokémon Trainer I have ever had the good fortune of meeting. I've had my doubts at times, but I knew since day one you were destined for something special. I'm just as proud of you as your mother is. Here, take this."  
  
Professor Oak handed Ash a new and improved version of the Pokédex. Ash hadn't received a new Pokédex since he set out for Hoenn years ago. That version had long-since become obsolete, as new Pokémon were being discovered every year.  
  
"Since Trainers from all over the world are going to be competing," he said, "you're probably going to face a lot of Pokémon you've never seen before. Pokémon even I know little about. This should help you out. Good luck."  
  
"Thank you, Professor. I'll make all of you even more proud, I promise."  
  
With that, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu turned and headed down that path that would lead them to the docks and the boat to Master's Island, and Ash's date with destiny. 


	2. To the Island!

"Chapter 2: To the Island!"  
  
Pikachu raced with lightning speed along the edge of the docks. Ash, Misty, and Brock ran close behind, not quite capable of keeping up with the speedy electric-type. They knew they had to run faster, though.  
  
"Why is that we are always running to catch a boat?!" Misty exclaimed, looking over at Ash, as if to put the blame of their current predicament squarely on his shoulders for waking up late, again. Their boat was starting to pull away from the docks and it was going to be close as to whether or not they were going to make it this time.  
  
"Hey, don't look at me," Ash said. "Brock was the one who had to stop and talk to that hot girl we ran into on the way here!"  
  
"What do you mean hot?!" Misty snapped back, shooting her menacing scowl at her boyfriend.  
  
"Uh, well, I meant," Ash started to reply nervously, "I just meant that she looked like she could use a drink of water! It sure is a warm one today!"  
  
"Cut it out, you two," Brock said, not wanting to be the cause of one of their arguments. "You aren't an old married couple just yet. Don't worry, we'll make it."  
  
They ran full-speed up to the end of the dock where the boat was just starting to pull away from.  
  
"Hey, stop the boat!" Ash yelled, but his plea went unheard by anyone on the boat.  
  
"Forget it, we're going to have to jump!" Brock said. Pikachu jumped up first onto the deck of the ship, followed by Misty and Brock. Ash was the last to jump on, barely grabbing the railing of the boat while almost falling in the water. Misty and Brock helped pull him up onboard.  
  
"That was a close one," Misty said, breathing a sigh of relief.  
  
"Well, we made it," a relieved Ash said, as he lay on his back, once again exhausted from having to run so fast again. "So who's hungry?"  
  
"You almost miss the boat to the most important tournament in your life and all you can think about is food?" Misty asked, a little surprised though she knew she really shouldn't be. This was Ash, after all.  
  
"Well, yeah," Ash said. "I didn't get to have breakfast this morning."  
  
"Figures," she said, grabbing hold of his hand and helping him to his feet. They went to find the boat's diner to grab a bite to eat and refuel.  
  
*****  
  
"We're almost there," Brock said. Misty and Ash rushed out to the front of the ship to see Brock pointing to a land mass just off in the distance against the early evening sky.  
  
"Master's Island," Ash said, as he watched the imposing site of the island's twin peaks rise up from the horizon as the boat grew closer. "This is gonna be great!"  
  
"Don't get too confident, Ash," Misty said, trying to bring him back down to earth. "You're not going to be the only Pokémon Master here."  
  
"Yeah, but I'm still the best," he said with laugh. "Don't you think so?"  
  
"I always will," she said smiling at him. When the boat reached the island and docked, Ash couldn't wait to get off the ship and ran down the walkway to the ground below. Misty, Brock, and Pikachu had to rush to catch up with him.  
  
"Wait up Ash!" Misty shouted.  
  
"Welcome to Master's Island," a woman said, greeting them all at the end of the walkway. "You must be Ash Ketchum."  
  
"Yeah, I am!" Ash said boastfully, turning to Brock and Misty. "She must have heard about all my great accomplishments."  
  
"Actually, I just looked at our Trainer invitee list and matched your face with your picture," she said.  
  
"Oh," Ash said, a little disappointed.  
  
"Please proceed to the island's Main Pokémon Center to register yourself in the tournament. It's the large building just up ahead. Good luck, Mr. Ketchum."  
  
"Thank you, miss," Ash said. "Come on guys, let's go."  
  
*****  
  
"Nurse Joy!" Brock shouted just as they walked into the Pokémon Center. He immediately rushed up to the counter to see her.  
  
"Hello, do I know you?" Nurse Joy asked.  
  
"No, but allow me to introduce myself. I'm Brock, the man of your dreams! Hey, you must be the world's greatest Nurse Joy if you're the head nurse here at the Masters Tournament. How about later you and I go for a little--"  
  
Brock was cut-off mid sentence by Misty dragging him away by the ear.  
  
"Haven't done this in a long time," Misty said, pulling the love-crazy Pokémon Breeder to the other side of the Pokémon Center.  
  
"Yeah, and it still hurts!" Brock exclaimed.  
  
Ash shook his head and walked up to the counter to talk to Nurse Joy.  
  
"Is this where I register for the tournament?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, just give me your Pokédex and your letter of invitation and I'll do the rest," Nurse Joy explained. Ash handed both items over to her. She checked the invitation to make sure it was official, then deposited his Pokédex into the computer terminal.  
  
"Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town, Kanto," she read from Ash's profile. "Champion of the Orange and Hoenn Leagues. Very impressive, Ash."  
  
"Thanks Nurse Joy," Ash said blushing. "It was nothing, really."  
  
"Hmm, Ketchum," she continued. "Have we met before?"  
  
"We might have," Ash said, a little puzzled by her statement. "I mean, I've probably met every Nurse Joy within a thousand-mile radius. Maybe one of your sisters or cousins told you about me."  
  
"Perhaps," she said, turning her attention back to her duties. "How many guests with you?"  
  
"Two right now. Three more are coming tomorrow."  
  
Nurse joy punched up all the information into the computer's database.  
  
"There you go, your entry into the Masters Tournament has been confirmed," she said, handing him back his Pokédex. "Now, let's get your Pokémon registered."  
  
Ash handed over his PokéBalls and Nurse Joy put them under a scanner. The machine glowed with a blue light as it moved back and forth over the PokéBalls.  
  
"Don't forget Pikachu," Ash said, picking up his friend and showing it to her.  
  
"I won't," she said smiling. "What a cute little Pikachu."  
  
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said, thanking the kind nurse for her compliment. Nurse Joy showed Ash a screen with pictures of his Pokémon on it.  
  
"Are these the Pokémon you wish to use in the tournament?" asked Nurse Joy.  
  
"They sure are," Ash said. Nurse Joy finished entering the data into the computer and handed Ash back his PokéBalls.  
  
"There you go, Ash," she said. "You're all set. The opening ceremonies are tomorrow. Here's a map of the island, your Masters Tournament rulebook, and hotel keys for you and your guests. Good luck, Ash."  
  
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," said Ash. He walked back over to the spot where Misty and Brock were waiting for him.  
  
"Well, that's out of the way," he said. "Let's head to our rooms. We could all use a nice long rest for tomorrow."  
  
"Agreed," Brock said. They exited the Pokémon Center's front doors and walked out into the Island's main street. Lights all around illuminated the island darkened by nighttime that was quickly setting in.  
  
"Which way are the rooms?" Misty asked.  
  
"Uh, over there," Ash said, consulting his map. He looked up from his map just in time to see the upper chest of someone running into him. Ash and the man who crashed into him both were sent falling backwards to the ground.  
  
"Ash, are you okay?" Misty asked, as she and Brock helped the Pokémon trainer back to his feet.  
  
"Yeah, I'm alright," Ash said, shaking it off. "Maybe this guy should watch where he's going next time."  
  
"I could say the same to you," the man said, coming to his feet as well. Ash looked up to the man's face, as he was a few inches tall than his own 6'1" frame. The man had black hair and was clean-shaven, and looked to be quite a few years older than the 18 year-old Ash. He wore standard blue jeans with a black, leather jacket overtop of a dark blue shirt. Ash noticed the man had six PokéBalls attached to the outside of his jacket.  
  
"So, you're a Pokémon trainer," Ash said to the mysterious man.  
  
"Yeah, that's right," he said, still showing no sign of feeling sorry for his running over of the young man he had just met. "I've been competing in these tournaments for years, and this year will finally be my year to win it."  
  
"Well, it's nice to meet you," Ash said, extending his hand in a sign of friendship. Ash was always the kind to try and make friends quickly, and he certainly didn't want to become an enemy of a person he just met. "Though I'm afraid I'm going to have to deny that victory for you again for another four years. I'm competing too."  
  
"Well nice to meet you too," the man said, shaking Ash's hand and showing a little more friendliness. "We'll see about that, though. What's your name, kid?"  
  
"I'm Ash Ketchum," said Ash. "What's your name?  
  
"Did you say Ash Ketchum?" the man said, his eyebrow raising slightly at the sound of that name.  
  
"Yeah, that's my name. So what's yours?"  
  
"My name? My name is of no importance to you right now. I look forward to meeting you in battle, however. Until next we meet, Ash Ketchum."  
  
The man said nothing more, only turned and walked away down the street, leaving Ash, Misty, and Brock wondering what in the world that was all about.  
  
"Who was that man?" Misty asked. "He seemed like he knew you."  
  
"I have no idea," Ash said. "I don't recall ever meeting him."  
  
Ash's mind raced as he tried to find that man's face in his memories. Surely he must have run into him somewhere on one of his journeys. But where, and when? The answers weren't coming to him. All he had was this feeling he couldn't shake. A feeling that this man was somehow familiar to him.  
  
"I'm sure we'll find out who is soon enough," said Ash. "Let's just get some rest for now."  
  
They shifted their attention away from the strange man as he disappeared from their view, and they headed off in the other direction towards their hotel to turn in for the night. 


	3. The Opening Ceremonies

"Chapter 3: The Opening Ceremonies"  
  
Misty and Brock took their seats in the stands of Legends Stadium, the main Pokémon battle arena of the competition. Sitting beside them were Professor Oak, Gary Oak, and Delia Ketchum, who managed to make it in time to view Ash in the opening ceremonies. The sun was almost down over the horizon and evening was beginning to set in as they awaited Ash and the other trainers to enter the Stadium.  
  
"Glad you could make it," Brock said.  
  
"Yes, it was a long ride here," Professor Oak, "but I wouldn't miss this for the world."  
  
"Me either," Delia said.  
  
"Hey, it's starting," Gary said as loud music began to play.   
  
"Ladies and gentlemen," a man said over the stadium's PA system, "please give a warm welcome to the trainers competing in the Pokémon Masters Tournament!"  
  
They looked on as all 128 Trainers marched into the arena from the right and followed along the track, waving to the capacity crowd as they went. Misty, Brock, and Gary stood up and cheered as Ash walked by their section. Ash noticed them and waved back, as did Pikachu who was sitting in the familiar position atop Ash's shoulder. The trainers finished their march and took their places in the center of the arena, standing before a large podium.  
  
"And now," the PA announcer continued, "will you please rise for the honorable Imakuni Ishihara, president of the International Federation of Pokémon Leagues."  
  
The crowd rose to its feet and clapped as Mr. Ishihara took walked up the steps to the podium and took his place in front of a microphone at center stage. The president of the IFPL was responsible for overseeing every Pokémon League on Earth and organizing the Masters Tournament. He raised his hand, acknowledging the audience's warm reception.  
  
"Thank you," he said. "Please be seated. We are gathered yet again to witness the greatest Pokémon Trainers this planet has to offer compete on the world's greatest stage. I am always impressed with the amount of ability, skill, knowledge, and wisdom these Trainers possess. It's no surprise they have made it this far. However, at the end of the day, only one of them will be able to rise to the rank of Ultimate Master. I am sure there will be many memorable battles here and I'm sure you all are looking forward to them. These men and woman, boys and girls, and their Pokémon, are inspirations to us all. And for that, I thank them, and wish them all the best of luck in the coming days. Thank you."  
  
The trainers and the crowd gave Mr. Ishihara another big hand as he took a bow.  
  
"And now," he said, "the moment you've all been waiting for: the lighting of the Masters Tournament flame. The Scared Fire of Ho-oh will blaze continuously during the tournament. Please let the legendary Ho-oh watch over this tournament, its participants, and its spectators, and protect them from all harm while they are here."  
  
The audience cheered as the torch runner entered the arena, circling around it and waving to the fans. She reached the large steps at the other end of the stadium and climbed up them to the top where the flame is to be held. Holding the torch up high, she tossed it up into the air and into the large bowl. The crowd watched in awe as a flash of fire lit up the night sky and the large flame began to burn brightly. It initially began as red in color, but soon began to change to all sorts of colors of the rainbow, amazing spectators and trainers alike.  
  
"Wow," Ash said, gazing up at the awesome fire display.  
  
"With that, I officially declare the Pokémon Masters Tournament underway!" Mr. Ishihara shouted to the delight to the huge crowd. "Trainers, please report any of the several Assignment Stations within the stadium to find out your opponent and venue for your first round match tomorrow. Good luck to all of you. Let the games begin."  
  
*****  
  
Misty, Brock, and Gary, along with Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum, stood and watched as Ash waited in line at an Assignment Station, waiting to get his designation for tomorrow.  
  
"Name," the woman working the table said as Ash stepped up to her.  
  
"Ash Ketchum," he said.  
  
"Let's see here," the woman said "Ah yes, here we are. Ketchum, Ash. You will be battling in Stadium 7 tomorrow."  
  
"Alright, lucky number 7!" Ash said with delight. "Who's my opponent?"  
  
"His name is Dash Dexter. Good luck tomorrow, Mr. Ketchum."  
  
"Thanks," Ash said before walking over to where his friends and family were waiting for him.  
  
"All set?" Misty asked.  
  
"You bet," Ash replied. "This tournament is as good as mine!"  
  
"Ash!!!" a voice shouted, taking them all for surprise. Ash turned around to see a young woman rushing straight at him. Ash put his hands up in an effort to stop her but she jumped into the air and tackled him anyway. When the young Pokémon Master opened his eyes and realized what happened, he saw the girl, a few years younger than himself, sitting on top of his chest with a delighted smile upon her face.  
  
"Ash, I can't believe it's you!" she said. "It's so good to see you again!"  
  
"Uh, hi May," Ash said. "It's nice to see you again too. Could you please get off me now?"  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry Ash!" May said, scrambling to get off of her friend's chest. "It's just I haven't seen you in like three years and I'm so excited to see you competing here! Hey, that reminds me! Why haven't you called or written to me all these years?!"  
  
"Well, uh," Ash said, quickly trying to come up with a reason. "You know me, May. I've been pretty busy, what with school, training, saving the world. That kind of stuff."  
  
"Yeah, you're right. We're together again now, so that's all that matters."  
  
"Eh-hem!" Misty said, louding tapping her foot in an attempt to gain Ash's attention. "I think you have some explaining to do, Ash Ketchum. Who is this girl?"  
  
"Oh, that's right," Ash said. "You haven't met May yet."  
  
"Hi there!" May said, waving her hand at Misty. "Ash never told me he had a sister!"  
  
"I am not Ash's sister!" the very annoyed Misty shouted.  
  
"Uh, so May," Brock said, trying to lighten a little of the tension May's arrival had created, "your brother couldn't make it?"  
  
"No, he's off on some adventure or another," May said. "But Ash, he wishes you the best of luck. However, when I heard that my favorite Pokémon trainer was going to be competing in the Masters Tournament, there was no way I was going to miss it!"  
  
"I am still waiting for an explanation here!" Misty yelled.  
  
"Your cousin really has an attitude problem," May said, trying to whisper to Ash. Misty, with her razor sharp ears, heard more than enough of her comment.  
  
"I am not Ash's cousin!" she once again screamed. "Will someone please tell me who she is?!"  
  
"Misty, this is May," Ash finally explained. "She and her younger brother traveled with me and Brock while we were in Hoenn. May, this is Misty, my girlfriend."  
  
"Oh, so you're Misty!" May said, rushing up to shake her hand. "Ash told me so me much about you. It's nice to finally meet you."  
  
"Yeah, same here," Misty said, grumbling through her teeth. She didn't exactly like the idea of another girl travelling with Ash. Even though she hadn't told Ash her feelings yet at that time, it still didn't sit right with her. She planned to have a talk with Ash at another time.  
  
"It's getting late, we should head back to the hotel," Professor Oak commented. "You've got a big day tomorrow, Ash. You should rest up."  
  
"Good idea," said Ash.  
  
"May, you can stay in my room if you like," Delia suggested. "I know you probably don't have a room for yourself."  
  
"Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum," May said.  
  
"Good, now that it's all settled, let's go," Ash said, thankful to have that entire calamity behind him. At least he hoped, as he noticed Misty still looked a bit ticked off. She could get so jealous sometimes, though he knew it would blow over by tomorrow. There were more serious things at hand in the coming days. However, his train of though was interrupted by the strange sensation that someone was watching him. He looked around, but no one had their eyes on him.  
  
"Weird," Ash thought to himself. He shook off the feeling and continued with the rest of them to the hotel.  
  
*****  
  
Ash sat on his bed, the overhead light on, flipping through the pages of his Masters Tournament Guide.  
  
"All Masters Tournament rules will be used for all matches," Ash read. "However, each round presents a different Challenge with a different set of rules (called Challenge rules) that may or may not coincide with the Official Tournament rules. All Challenge rules supercede Official rules. Be prepared for anything."  
  
Ash set down the book on the nightstand and lay back on his bed.  
  
"This is going to be pretty tough," Ash said, "unlike anything I've ever faced before. I hope I do well."  
  
Ash turned off the light and closed his eyes to fall asleep and dream about what the next day had in store for him. 


	4. Round 1: Ash vs Dash

"Chapter 4: Round 1-Ash vs. Dash"  
  
Ash buckled up his belt, complete with five PokéBalls on it. He put on his lucky hat, slid into his favorite jacket, and walked out of his room into the bright sunshine. Today was the today. Today was his day. He looked at the smiling faces of his friends and family, all happy for him and what they knew he had the chance to accomplish.  
  
"Ready Ash?" Misty asked.  
  
"I've never been more ready for anything in my entire life," Ash said. "Let's do this."  
  
*****  
  
Ash said goodbye to his mom, May, Professor Oak, and Gary, as they left to take their seats in the stands to watch him compete. Misty and Brock would be joining him on the field as coaches. They entered the stadium and walked around for a bit, seeing the sights. Vendors selling expensive food and souvenirs, children were running around playing, anxious for the match to begin, and other trainers having friendly matches. Ash looked at his watch and noticed he still had another 15 minutes or so until he had to be in the Trainer's box, ready for the match.  
  
"Hey, you must be Ash," someone said from behind them. They turned around to see a young man, about Ash's age, tossing a PokéBall up and down. He had a very smug look on his face.  
  
"That's right, and who are you?" Ash asked.  
  
"I'm Dash," he said. "Dash Dexter. You know, your first round opponent. I thought you would have known that already. Don't you study up on the competition?"  
  
"Well, um," Ash stuttered, searching for an answer. He had spent too much time studying the rules last night and forgot to even study up on his opponent.  
  
"Yeah, I thought as much," Dash said. "From the information I gathered from your bio, I didn't expect you were the brightest trainer at the tournament."  
  
"Hey, take that back!"  
  
"I'd rather not, thanks. I'm sure even you would know that they key to any victory is to know more about your opponent than they know about themselves."  
  
"Well I've won two different League Championships, I must know something. How many have you won?"  
  
"Three, not that I like to brag."  
  
Ash was growing more and more annoyed at Dash. "Who does this guy think he is?" Ash thought to himself. "I'm going to wipe the floor with him!"  
  
"Well, I've spent far too much time talking to a loser such as yourself," said Dash. "In about 10 minutes, victory is as good as mine. See ya!"  
  
With that, Dash walked off to prepare for the match, leaving Ash fuming.  
  
"I hope you beat that creep," Misty said.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu said, agreeing with Misty.  
  
"Don't worry, I will," Ash said, trying to cool down and refocus his attention where it should be. "Let's get to the field."  
  
*****  
  
"Welcome Poké-fans from all corners of the world!" the PA announcer shouted to the screaming crowd packed inside the stadium to view the upcoming Pokémon match. "We've got a great match-up for you today! Please give a warm welcome to a champion of both the Orange and Hoenn Leagues. A representative of the Kanto region, Ash Ketchum!"  
  
Ash walked onto the field from the tunnel beneath the stands, waving his hands to all the people in the crowd who were cheering loudly. He was followed closely by Misty, Brock, and Pikachu.  
  
"Look at all my adoring fans!" Ash exclaimed.  
  
"I think you better come back down to earth," Misty said. "Focus on the match, sweetie."  
  
Ash took his spot in the Trainer's box; a rectangular area marked off for the trainer to stand in during the match. Pikachu joined him. Misty and Brock sat behind him on the coach's bench.  
  
"And now," the PA announcer continued, "please, give it up to a guy who's won not one, not two, but three League Championships! Champion of the Indigo, Johto, and Hoenn Leagues, and another Kanto contender, here's Dash Dexter!"  
  
Dash entered on the other side of the stadium. He took his spot and crossed his arms, with that same smug look on his face. He was ready for this, just as Ash was.  
  
"Here are the rules for this Round 1 match," the referee announced to both trainers. "Each trainer will be allowed only three Pokémon a piece in this battle, and will use only one Pokémon at a time. However, trainers are not allowed to switch their Pokémon at any point. Each Pokémon will fight until it faints. Trainers, choose your Pokémon now."  
  
"Pikachu, you're up first buddy," Ash said. Pikachu quickly ran to the center of the field, taking its place near the center circle, ready to battle.  
  
"Go!" Dash shouted, tossing a PokéBall out onto the floor several feet before Pikachu. It opened, and Dash's Pokémon materialized out of it.  
  
"Wobbuffet!" it said.  
  
"Wobbuffet?!" a very surprised Ash said.  
  
"Interesting," Brock commented.  
  
"Trainers ready?" the referee asked. "Let the battle begin!"  
  
Ash hesitated, trying to figure out what kind of strategy he was going to use for this one. He knew Wobbuffets were tricky to battle against, so he'd have to play it careful.  
  
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Dash asked. "I'm the one with the Wobbuffet! You have to attack first!"  
  
"Pikachu, Thundershock!" Ash quickly said, tired of hearing Dash's annoying voice. He knew this gambit would be risky, but he'd have to try it. Pikachu fired its electric attack directly at Dash's Wobbuffet.  
  
"Wobbuffet, use Mirror Coat!" ordered Dash. Wobbuffet raised a protective shield around itself, and when Pikachu's attack struck it, it was sent flying back right at Pikachu,  
  
"Look out!" Ash shouted, but it was already too late as Pikachu's attack, now with doubled power, came soaring right back at Pikachu, striking the electric mouse and sending it backwards.  
  
"Ash, you better not try that again," Brock advised.  
  
"I know, Ash said. "There's no overpowering a Wobbuffet. Pikachu, we've got to outsmart it."  
  
"Pika-Pi-Pikachu," Pikachu said, nodding in agreement after getting back to its feet. Pikachu ran off at full speed towards Wobbuffet.  
  
"Counter it, Wobbuffet!" Dash yelled. Wobbuffet raised its counter shield, ready for Pikachu to attack. Pikachu kept charging at full-speed.  
  
"What an idiot," Dash thought. "He walking right into it!"  
  
"Pikachu, now!" Ash yelled. Pikachu, who was now almost at Wobbuffet, leapt into the air, jumping right over the blue-colored Psychic-type. Pikachu landed on the ground behind Dash's Pokémon, and noticed there was a weak spot behind it, as Wobbuffet's counter shield only protected its front.  
  
"No!" Dash shouted.  
  
"Yes!" Ash shouted back. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"  
  
Pikachu fired a huge bolt of lightning right at Wobbuffet's back, sending Wobbuffet falling over face-first into the ground. Pikachu continued to shock it until it could take no more.  
  
"Wobbuffet is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Pikachu is the winner!"  
  
"Alright!" Ash shouted, jumping up into the air and pumping his fist.  
  
"What a stunning move by Masters Tournament rookie Ash Ketchum!" the announcer said. "He completely surprised Dash with that one!"  
  
"Wobbuffet, return!" Dash yelled, extremely upset and irritated as he recalled his Pokémon. "I let you off easy on that one. I won't make that mistake this time. Go, Aggron!"  
  
Dash threw out another PokéBall, and the large, imposing figure of Aggron appeared from it. Ash's triumphs of joy quickly turned into feelings of dread. Misty and Brock felt the same way as they saw the huge Pokémon towering over Ash's Pikachu.  
  
"Dash is now going with Aggron," said the announcer. "Will Pikachu be able to take on this massive Steel and Rock-type goliath?"  
  
"Aggron, Earthquake!" Dash commanded. Aggron lifted up its massive foot, bringing it hard to the ground. The whole stadium began to shake, and a massive tremor was sent right at Pikachu.  
  
"Pikachu, get out of there!" Ash yelled, but it was too late. Aggron's attack connected with Pikachu, sending the small electric-type flying into the air, badly injured. Ash ran out of the Trainer's box to his left and dove to catch Pikachu before his Pokémon could hit the ground.  
  
"Pikachu, are okay?" Ash asked, concerned over the well being of his very first Pokémon.  
  
"Pika-chu....," Pikachu said weakly, barely able to move.  
  
"Pikachu has been defeated," the referee shouted. "Victory goes to Aggron!"  
  
"Poor Pikachu," Delia said as she, May, Professor Oak, and Gary watched from the stands to the right of Ash.  
  
"Taken down on the word go!" the announcer yelled. "The match is now tied with one Pokémon on each side now defeated. Let's see what move Ash makes next!"  
  
Ash walked over to Misty and gave her Pikachu. Misty could tell how upset Ash was as she watched him slowly walk back to the Trainer's box. The fire she saw in his eyes was unlike any she had ever seen before.  
  
"Masters Tournaments aren't for small and weak Pokémon," Dash said. "You're playing with the big boys now, Ash."  
  
Ash clenched his fist, his anger growing inside. He tried his best to hold it in, but something inside him had snapped. He wouldn't stand for anyone insulting Pikachu like that.  
  
"So you wanna play with the big boys, huh?" Ash said. "Well they don't get much bigger than this! Go, Snorlax!"  
  
Ash called forth the massive Normal-type from its PokéBall. It materialized, lying on its back in front of Aggron. It slowly got up to is feet, still groggy from just waking up.  
  
"Well, I take it back," Dash said. "You do actually have a decent Pokémon. It's still no match for Aggron, though."  
  
"We'll see," Ash said, with his confidence evident in his voice  
  
"Ash has sent out his own heavyweight in Snorlax," said the announcer. "This match is just starting to heat up, so don't go anywhere folks!"  
  
"Take it out now!" Dash ordered.  
  
Aggron rushed at Snorlax. Snorlax looked just in time to get its hands up and grab Aggron's incoming claws of steel. The Pokémon tried pushing each other back and forth, neither one moving more than an inch backward. Their strength was about even, and both trainers knew a shoving match was not going to decide this one.  
  
"Snorlax, try and toss it!" Ash ordered. Snorlax summoned all its strength and grabbed Aggron underneath is arms, slowly lifting it up above its head. It struggled to hold the extremely heavy Pokémon.  
  
"Aggron, Iron Tail!" Dash yelled. Aggron spun out of Snorlax's hold, nailing the sleepy giant with its huge tail as it tumbled to the ground, sending Snorlax to the dirt as well. Both Pokémon were slow to get back up.  
  
"Get in there and pummel it!" said Dash. Aggron ran over to the vulnerable Snorlax and began to launch a volley of punching attacks at Snorlax's massive gut. Snorlax put its arms in front of itself, trying to shield itself slightly from the strong punches, but it was still taking a lot of damage.  
  
"Two can play that game," Ash said. "Snorlax, use your Dynamic Punch!"  
  
Ash's Pokémon ducked under one of Aggron's punches and landed one of its own on Aggron's jaw, temporarily stunning it. Snorlax then reeled back and let loose its Dynamic Punch, hitting Aggron right in the midsection and sending it flying backwards. Aggron landed hard on its back. It stumbled to its feet, walking around woozy from the confusing effects of the Dynamic Punch. It soon became too disoriented to stand, and fell over again. Aggron didn't bother to try and get up again.  
  
"Aggron is unable to continue," the referee announced. "Snorlax wins!"  
  
"And with one massive blow, Ash's Snorlax takes out Dash's Aggron!" the announcer shouted. "Dash only has one Pokémon left, so he better make it count!"  
  
"You asked for it," Dash said, calling back Aggron and holding up his next PokéBall. "No more games. Go!"  
  
Dash tossed the ball out onto the field, and it popped open, releasing a Kabutops.  
  
"W-what?" Ash said, a little stunned. "Where in the world did you get a Kabutops?"  
  
"None of your business," Dash snorted back. "Now let's fight."  
  
"Fine then," Ash said. "Come on, Snorlax, let's end this now!"  
  
"Kabutops, Slash attack!" ordered Dash. Kabutops lunged at Snorlax, slashing at it with its razor-sharp blades located on the ends of its arms. Snorlax used its sturdy arms to help shield itself again. Kabutops began to move quicker, jumping to one side of Snorlax, taking a slash, then moving to another side. It was far too fast for the less-than-speedy Snorlax to keep up with.  
  
"Ash, do something!" Misty shouted. "Don't let Snorlax just get cut to pieces out there!"  
  
"What can I do?!" Ash said, growing anxious. "Kabutops is way too fast for it, and I can't switch Snorlax out!"  
  
Kabutops continued its massive blade assault, leaving Snorlax little or no time to defend. Snorlax started to wear down from its injures, shifting from side to side as it began to lose its balance. Kabutops took a quick slash at Snorlax's right leg, causing to massive Pokémon to begin to fall over. When Kabutops looked up, it noticed Snorlax was going to fall in its direction!  
  
"Get out of there!" Dash shouted. However, there was no time left, as Snorlax fell over right on top of Kabutops, squashing it. When Snorlax rolled over, the ref could see that the flat-as-a-pancake Kabutops was in no shape to keep battling.  
  
"Kabutops is no longer able to battle!" the ref shouted. "The winner is Ash Ketchum!"  
  
"What a stunning upset!" the announcer yelled. "In his first Masters Tournament battle, Ash Ketchum has scored a surprising victory against Dash Dexter! I think we can expect great things from this young man as he moves on into Round 2."  
  
Dash could only stand there in shock. He couldn't believe his eyes. Couldn't believe what just happened. For the first time he was left without anything to say. He simply recalled Kabutops and walked off the field, dejected.  
  
"We did it," Ash said, who also was having a little trouble believing how he just won. "We did it!"  
  
Ash ran up to give Pikachu and Misty a hug, and Brock gave him a pat on the back for a job well done.  
  
"We did it," Ash said again, breathing a little sigh of relief. It was over. He had won his first victory. No more nervousness, and no more anxiety. It was close, but he knew he could do this now. Ash looked up into the crowd to find his friends and family, but instead saw someone else eyeing him. It was the man he ran into his first day on the island. The man simply smiled at him, and turned and walked out of the stands. Ash ignored him, and saw who he was looking for.  
  
"Yay, he won!" Delia Ketchum shouted as she cheered on her son, with May right next to her and cheering loudly as well. The Professor smiled and clapped, and Gary simply nodded his head.  
  
"One down, six to go," Ash said. 


	5. Round 2: Random Challenge

"Chapter 5: Round 2 - Random Challenge"  
  
Ash stretched out in the Trainer's box, getting ready for his next match. Pikachu, now feeling much better, stretched along with him. Ash looked across the field to his next opponent. He mad met this boy, a few years younger than him, during his journey through Hoenn, and they had become friends. Ash was relieved to be facing off against a friend rather than another jerk like Dash. However, friend or not, he was still determined to win this match. A new sense of seriousness about this tournament had overtaken the previous carefree attitude he had come here with. Misty could see that in him as well, and wondered if Brock did too. After last night, she wasn't too surprised at his demeanor today. The events of the preceding night still played vividly in her mind...  
  
(Flashback)  
  
"Ash, come over here," Misty said, tapping her palm on his hotel bed, trying to get him to get off that PC and come over to her. Ash had spent most of the night so far in front of that PC monitor, studying up on his Round 2 opponent. After the match earlier today with Dash, Misty had noticed a sudden shift in his personality. Misty felt a little relaxation would help him get back to normal, especially since it had been so long since they had any time alone together.  
  
"I'm kind of busy right now, Misty," Ash said, not even bothering to look away from the screen.  
  
"I know you want to win this thing," said Misty, "but you don't want to spend all your time preparing, do you?"  
  
"If I don't, I'm not going to make it much further," explained Ash. "You saw what happened today. That was a little too close for comfort, and I'm not even sure if Pikachu will be able to battle tomorrow. Dash was right. I need to be prepared."  
  
"Okay, if you say so," Misty said, getting up from the bed and heading to the door to return to her room. "Just don't act so serious all of the time, Ash. Remember to try and have a little fun along the way."  
  
Ash didn't reply, and Misty sighed as she left the room. She hoped this was only temporary, and Ash would snap out of it soon...  
  
(End flashback)  
  
"This Round 2 match between Ash from Pallet Town, Kanto, and Wally from Verdanturf Town, Hoenn, is just about to get underway," the announcer spoke. "Today's referee will now instruct the two trainers on today's challenge rules."  
  
Ash and Wally walked up the referee and were handed belts containing three PokéBalls attached to them.  
  
"Here are your Pokémon," the ref explained.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ash asked. "I already have my own Pokémon."  
  
"Yeah, me too," Wally chimed in.  
  
"These are the Pokémon you will be using in today's match," the referee continued to explain. "You will not be allowed to use your own."  
  
"What?!" Ash exclaimed.  
  
"These are the Round 2 Challenge rules. Each Trainer is given three pre-trained Pokémon to use. Your team is chosen beforehand to determine that no Trainer has a definitive advantage over the other. You will each compete with these three Pokémon, using only one at a time. Switching will be allowed. Now, take your places and good luck to you both."  
  
Ash walked back to his Trainer's box, still a little bit in shock over this sudden news.  
  
"I can't use my own Pokémon," Ash explained to Misty and Brock. "I've got to use these three Pokémon, whatever they are."  
  
"Well the handbook did say be prepared for anything," Brock said.  
  
"Besides," Misty added, "this isn't the first time you've done something like this. Remember when you took that Pokémon test and had to battle with three random Pokémon?"  
  
"Yeah, I lost," Ash pointed out.  
  
"Well I've got a feeling this time will be different," she said, giving him a wink.  
  
"I hope so," Ash said, taking his place at the front of the Trainer's box. "Sorry Pikachu, you'll have to sit this one out with Brock and Misty."  
  
"Pikachu....," Pikachu said, obviously disappointed as it hopped up into Misty's lap to watch Ash battle.  
  
"He can't use his own Pokémon?" Delia asked. "That doesn't seem fair."  
  
"Well, look at it this way," Professor Oak said. "This will challenge both trainers to quickly master a Pokémon that they might never have used before. It's a good test of a trainer's skill."  
  
"Well, if you put it that way, I guess so," said Delia. "I'm sure he'll win anyway."  
  
"You bet he will!" May shouted. "Ash is the best!"  
  
"Well," Ash said, grabbing one of the PokéBalls from his new belt, " I guess this one is as good as any." He chucked it onto the field, and it opened to reveal a Castform.  
  
"Cool, a Castform!" Brock said.  
  
.  
  
"It sure is a really cutie," Misty said.  
  
"Let's see what you got, Wally," Ash called to his opponent.  
  
"Okay, here goes nothing Ash!" Wally said, tossing his PokéBall out onto the ground before him. A Shuckle appeared out of it.  
  
"This looks like it's going to be a long, weird battle," Gary said after both Pokémon had been called out.  
  
"Pokémon ready?" the referee asked. "Go!"  
  
Castform floated over towards Shuckle and waited for its new trainer to give his command.  
  
"If I remember correctly," Ash said, "Castform can transform with the weather. I think I'll try its Fire transformation. Castform, Sunny Day!"  
  
Castform closed it eyes focussed. The sun suddenly began to shine brighter down upon the battlefield. Castform's body started to shift and change into its Fire form.  
  
"Shuckle, Wrap it!" Wally shouted. His Shuckle extended its front legs forward, wrapping them around Ash's Castform. Castform tried to shake Shuckle off but its grip was too strong. It started to squeeze stronger, and Castform could start to feel the hurt of it.  
  
"Keep it up!" Wally said, seeing the battle starting to shift his way.  
  
"Use Weather Ball, Castform," Ash ordered. Castform began to glow and heat up, singing Shuckle's feet. It let go, yelping in pain. Castform launched its Fire-based Weather Ball at Shuckle, striking it directly.  
  
"That's the way," Ash said. "Use it again!"  
  
"Quick Shuckle, use Protect!" Wally shouted. Shuckle raised its protecting shields to block the incoming Weather Ball.  
  
"Keep firing!" shouted Ash. Castform kept launching Weather Ball attacks at a remarkable rate. Shuckle's shields eventually began to wear down and broke, exposing Shuckle to the oncoming fire strikes. They struck numerous times, and finally Shuckle retreated into its shell, unable to continue to keep going.  
  
"Shuckle can no longer battle," the referee said. "Castform is the winner!"  
  
"Good job, Castform," Ash said as Wally recalled Shuckle. "Only two more to go."  
  
"Wally has lost his first Pokémon as Ash's Castform is victorious," the announcer said. "Will the next Pokémon Wally sends out be able to counter it? We'll all know in a second."  
  
Wally tossed another PokéBall out, hoping that this one would be a little luckier. A Machamp popped out of the ball.  
  
"Uh oh," Ash said, looking at Castform. "I don't think it can handle something that big."  
  
"You better call it back then, Ash," Brock suggested. "Try another Pokémon."  
  
"Quick Machamp, Mega Punch!" Wally shouted to his Pokémon.  
  
Machamp lunged to attack Castform, unleashing its furious barrage of attacks with its four fists. Castform floated from side to side, trying its best to avoid the insane punching spectacle. Ash could tell Castform wasn't going to be able to take this for much longer, and quickly pulled out its PokéBall and recalled it.  
  
"What's the matter, Ash?" Wally asked. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a little Machamp?"  
  
"You'll be the one who's going to be afraid," Ash said with a smile. "Let's see what this one holds for me!"  
  
Ash threw his next PokéBall out, and a Machamp emerged from it.  
  
"Another Machamp?!" Ash exclaimed.  
  
"What are the odds of this!" the announcer shouted. "Both trainers have drawn Machamps in their random Pokémon challenge, and both are out there right now!"  
  
"Use Mega Punch!" Wally commanded of his Machamp. Machamp rushed towards its fellow Pokémon and began to punch it vigorously with its four arms. Ash's Machamp used its arms to try and fend off the barrage of attacks.  
  
"Try and grab it!" Ash commanded. His Machamp took hold of two of the arms of Wally's Machamp and bent them behind its back, stopping it from being able to initiate any further attacks.  
  
"Good," Ash said. "Now pick it up and spin it!"  
  
Ash's Machamp took a good hold on the other Machamp and began to spin around in a circle, hanging onto its foe as much as it could as it spun. Ash's Pokémon spun faster and faster, not letting go without an order from its trainer. Wally could only watch on helplessly.  
  
"Let it fly!" Ash said, and his Machamp did just that as his opponent went flying into the wall of one of the stands. Wally's Machamp got back up slowly, rubbing its head.  
  
"Give it a knock out blow!" Wally ordered. His Machamp shook off its cobwebs and ran at Ash's, preparing to launch a devastating blow at its fellow Fighting-type.  
  
"Machamp, show it your own power!" Ash said. His Machamp pulled back one of its fists, ready to meet its oncoming enermy. Wally's Machamp leapt into the air and brought its fist forward, aiming right at the face of Ash's Machamp. Ash watched on as Machamp closed in. His Machamp began to bring its fist forward as well, and as Wally's Machamp arrived, they both let loose their powerful punches, striking each other in the head. Both Pokémon fell backward, reeling from the powerful blow. They hit the ground on their backs with a massive thud. They had KO'd each other.  
  
"A double knockout," Gary said.  
  
"That was quite an impressive display of power," said Professor Oak.  
  
"Both Machamps can no longer fight," the ref said.  
  
"Wow, what a turn of events!" the announcer said. "Both Pokémon KO'd each other! Now both trainers will have to send out new Pokémon, as Wally now trails 2-to-1!"  
  
"Now what are you going to do, Ash?" Misty asked.  
  
"Might as well use the last PokéBall on my belt," Ash said. "I think Castform is too tired to battle again right now, so we might as well see what's inside this one."  
  
He tossed it out and it landed on the ground before opening. Materializing from the ball was a Pokémon Ash had never seen before.  
  
"What in the world is that?" he wondered.  
  
"Check your new Pokédex," Brock advised.  
  
"Oh, right," Ash said, pulling the upgraded Pokédex out his jacket pocket. He pointed it at the silver-colored Pokémon he had just called forth that stood ready to battle, it's metal-plated back shining in the sunlight.  
  
"Metalleon," the Pokédex said. "The Steel evolution of Eevee. This newly discovered Pokémon has large wheels located on its hind legs and smaller ones on its front legs. It has the ability to use these wheels in battle to move itself around like a vehicle for quick escapes."  
  
"Metalleon, huh?" Ash wondered. "This could be interesting."  
  
Wally called forth his last Pokémon, his one chance at getting back into this match.  
  
"Please be the one," he said as he threw the PokéBall. A Houndoom emerged from it.  
  
"This is not good," Ash said, realizing his Pokémon would have the odds stacked against it in this battle.  
  
"Ash's Metalleon is at a severe disadvantage here," the announcer said. "Let's see how his Steel-type handles Wally's Fire-type.  
  
"Flamethrower, now!" Wally shouted. Houndoom fired its fire attack at Metalleon, who quickly engaged its wheels and speed out of the way of the burning flame. Houndoom started to rapidly fire more flame attacks at Metalleon, but Ash's Pokémon was too fast, zooming in and out around the battlefield to avoid the blasts.  
  
"It's fast, but you're going to have to attack sometime," Brock said.  
  
"I know," said Ash, before realizing something. "Uh, would either of you happen to know any of Metalleon's attacks?"  
  
"Of course not Ash!" Misty shouted. "Check your Pokédex again!"  
  
"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting," Ash said, pulling out his new Pokédex once again.  
  
"Metalleon attack's are speed based," it said. "Some of them include Quick Attack, Swift, and Wheel Crash."  
  
"Wheel Crash?" Ash wondered. "Never heard of that one, but it couldn't hurt to try. Metalleon, Wheel Crash!"  
  
Metalleon turned and raced straight towards Houndoom, dodging more Flamethrowers as it went. It hopped into the air and smashed its back wheels into Wally's Pokémon, sending it to the ground. Houndoom got back up and started to jump at Metalleon, snapping with its teeth and trying to use its Crunch attack. Metalleon began to drive circles around Houndoom so that the Dark and Fire-type couldn't hit its intended target. Metalleon Wheel Crashed Houndoom again, then once more. Houndoom was beginning to grow weaker from the repeated attacks and it own attacks were now becoming more desperate.  
  
"Finish it off!" Ash shouted.  
  
Metalleon raced full-speed at Houndoom and connected with one last Wheel Crash. Houndoom fell to the ground on its side, defeated.  
  
"Houndoom has been defeated," the referee said. "Ash wins the match!"  
  
"And it's all over here in Round 2!" the announcer shouted. "Ash Ketchum scores another victory against another young and up-and-coming trainer. This young man could go a long way here if he keeps this up!"  
  
"Aw man!" Wally said, stamping his foot on the ground. "I should have won, I had the advantage! Oh well, maybe next time."  
  
Wally and Ash, who was followed by Misty, Brock, and Pikachu, walked to the center of the arena as the crowed continued to cheer wildly for Ash's victory. Both trainers shook hands for a hard-fought battle.  
  
"Nice job, Ash," Wally said. "You're a really good trainer. That was a tough battle."  
  
"It wasn't really that challenging," Ash said. Misty gave him a quick elbow to the back for that comment.  
  
"I mean," Ash continued, "good job Wally. You've come a long way. I'm sure you'll win one of these eventually."  
  
"I hope so too," Wally said, as both trainers turned and walked back towards their respective tunnels to leave the stadium.  
  
"What was that about?" Misty wondered to herself as she walked next to Ash. "It's not like Ash to say stuff like that after a match. What's gotten into him?" 


	6. Round 3: Field Change!

"Chapter 6: Round 3 - Field Change!"  
  
"Hey guys, there you are," Ash said, walking into one of the island's many restaurants. Inside, everyone was waiting for him to join them for dinner.  
  
"About time you got here," Misty said. "We've been waiting for half an hour!"  
  
"Sorry about that," Ash said apologetically as he hopped into the booth next to Misty. "There was a pretty long line at the Pokémon Center."  
  
"Well you're here now, so that's all that matters," Delia said. "Let's order dinner."  
  
At that moment, a very attractive young woman was making her way over to their table.  
  
"Miss, we're ready to order," Delia said.  
  
"Forget the food, I want her!" Brock said, jumping out of the booth and taking hold of her hand. As he was accustomed to, Brock instantly fell head-over-heels for the girl. She was 21 years old, wearing a green outfit over her very voluptuous figure, and she had teal-colored hair.  
  
"Oh I'm not a waitress," she said, shoving Brock to the floor. He landed with a thud on his backside.  
  
"I think that broke my back and my heart," Brock said, as he slowly got up and sulked his way back to his place in the booth.  
  
"My name is Maria Davis, and I came to see Ash," she said.  
  
"I'd be careful if I were you," May said. "His girlfriend over, Misty, gets pretty jealous when other girls want to talk to Ash."  
  
Misty shot May an evil stare and tried her best to ignore her comment.  
  
"Hey, I know you," Ash said. "You're my next opponent."  
  
"That's right," Maria said. "I just wanted to have a chance to meet you before our match tomorrow. I like to try and get to know my competition personally."  
  
"Well that's nice," Ash said. "I hope you're also ready for a touch battle, because I assure you, I'm not going to go easy on you."  
  
"I wouldn't want you to," Maria said with a smirk. "Though I'm sure I'll be able to handle you. I am from Xanto, after all."  
  
"Wow, you're a long way from home," Delia said.  
  
"So, big deal," Ash said, not very impressed.  
  
"Ash, don't you know anything?" Gary said. "Xanto is legendary for producing some of the toughest trainers in the world. Xanto trainers have won more Masters Tournaments than trainers from any other part of the world."  
  
"Yes, and they have some very ferocious Pokémon in that region," Professor Oak added.  
  
"Well this year, the Masters Tournament cup is coming to Kanto," Ash said.  
  
"You're very confident," Maria said. "I like that. Well good luck tomorrow Ash. You're going to need it."  
  
"I'm sure," Ash said, politely shaking her hand before Maria exited the restaurant. "Now, can we finally eat?!"  
  
*****  
  
"Welcome to Round 3 of the Pokémon Masters Tournament!" the announcer shouted. "Today's match features two trainers who have battled their way through tough battles in the first two rounds and are ready for their next challenge. Please welcome Ash Ketchum from Kanto and Maria Davis from Xanto!"  
  
Ash and Maria made their way into the stadium through their respective tunnels and took their familiar places in the Trainer's box. Maria gave Ash a friendly wave, and Ash responded with a wave of his own, though his was far less enthusiastic. Brock and Misty took their places on the coach's bench, as they all waited for the referee to announce what this round's special challenge would be.  
  
"Today's match will be a Field Change match," the referee announced. "At random times during the match, the stadium floor will change from its current standard type to another elemental-based arena. The field will continue to change at random intervals until a winner is decided. Trainers will only be allowed to use one Pokémon for this match, so they are advised to choose one that can battle well under any situation."  
  
"What Pokémon are you going to use?" Misty asked.  
  
"One who has gotten me through a lot of tough scrapes," Ash said. "Charizard, I choose you!"  
  
Ash threw out Charizard's PokéBall, which popped open to reveal the intimidating Fire-type. Charizard let loose a loud roar, signaling that it was ready to start the battle.  
  
"Very impressive, Ash," Maria said. "Allow me to send forth a good opponent for your Charizard. Swimurai, let's go!"  
  
Maria elegantly tossed her Pokémon's PokéBall out onto the field of play, and a bizarre-looking Pokémon materialized out of it.  
  
"Now there's a Pokémon I've never seen before," Ash said, pulling out his trusty new Pokédex.  
  
"Swimurai, the Swordfish Pokémon," Ash's Pokédex said. "The evolved form of Marlengard. It's agile hind legs allow for battle on land and in water. Its sword-like nose is detachable and can be used as a powerful weapon."  
  
Ash carefully examined the strange Pokémon. It stood as tall as Charizard, with flippered feet and sharp claws. It had metal shingles aligning the outside of its body, which Ash guessed served as a tough defense.  
  
"It might be a Water Pokémon," Ash said, "but don't think you have advantage, Maria. Charizard will win."  
  
"Then let's get this underway, shall we?" Maria asked.  
  
"Fine by me," Ash said.  
  
"Trainers, begin the match now!" the referee announced.  
  
"Swimurai, Take Down!" Maria ordered.  
  
"Charizard, brace for impact!" Ash shouted. Swimurai charged at a quick speed and lunged itself into Charizard, who was ready for it, was its claws outward, grabbing its foe and stopping its attack. Charizard held tightly onto Swimuari, trying to restrict its movement as much possible.  
  
"Charizard, use your Slash attack!" Ash said. His Pokémon let go of Swimurai and let loose with its powerful claws, slashing at its opponent wherever it could. However, Charizard's claws weren't tough enough to penetrate Swimurai's thick shielding.  
  
"Forget it, Ash," Maria said. "There's no way you're going to get through Swimurai's armor. It helps being part Steel type."  
  
"Then I'll just have to go with Charizard's special attacks," said Ash. "Use Flamethrower!"  
  
Charizard opened its mighty jaws and sent forth a streaking fire-attack, which quickly engulfed Swimurai in a swirling firestorm. After a few seconds of being surrounding by the intense heat, Swimurai managed to leap up into the air and escape the flames. It landed back on its feet several meters away from Charizard and resumed a battle position.  
  
"Charizard, keep using your fire attacks!" Ash shouted. Charizard sent another blast of fire at Swimurai, but this time the Swordfish Pokémon jumped up into the air to avoid it.  
  
"Use your Samurai Strike!" Maria called. While still up in the air, Swimurai detached its nose and gripped it in its hands, then fell back towards the ground in Charizard's direction.  
  
"Charizard, fly away!" Ash quickly shouted. Charizard took off into the air as Swimurai landed where Charizard had just been standing. Before Ash's Pokémon even had time to react, Swimurai had already jumped into the air again, straight up at Charizard, and swung at it with its sword. Charizard had no time to counter it as it could only watch as the speedy Swimurai took a slash at its belly. Charizard grasped its midsection in pain, trying to stay in the air, as it watched its foe fall back to the ground.  
  
"Hang in there, Charizard!" Ash yelled. Before either trainer could issue their next command, they heard a loud whirring sound. They look at the ground before them, which was slowly opening up, leaving only three circular-shaped platforms in the center. Swimurai quickly jumped on one as they waited to see what field would arise. The empty void in front of them began to fill up with water until the water level had reached the height of the platforms.  
  
"Alright, a water field!" Maria shouted in joy.  
  
"Ash, this isn't good," Brock said. "Charizard's going to be at even more of a disadvantage now."  
  
"Well Charizard will just have to stay in the air then," Ash said.  
  
"Swimurai, dive down!" Mario ordered. Her Pokémon jumped into the water and dove deep. Deep enough that Charizard could not see its position under the water.  
  
"Now, Swimurai!" Maria said. Her Pokémon swam straight up from the bottom of the water and leapt out of the surface, soaring high into the air, right above where Charizard was flying. It fired a blast of water from its mouth right at the Fire-type, sending Charizard hurtling towards the pool below. Ash's Pokémon splashed down into the water, disappearing from Ash's view. Ash looked on very worried, hoping his Pokémon would surface quickly. It did a few seconds later, scrambling to get onto one of the platforms. When it did, Charizard collapsed, in obvious pain.  
  
"Charizard, get up!" Ash ordered, with a tone of voice that struck both Misty and Brock as odd. It was a much more powerful and angry tone than they had ever heard Ash speak when battling.  
  
"Get up now!" Ash continued to yell. "We can't let her beat us! I order you to get up!"  
  
"Ash, maybe you should calm down a bit," Brock suggested.  
  
"I know what I'm doing," Ash said. "I'm not going to give in this easily."  
  
Charizard was confused by Ash's sudden actions, and was growing displeased with its trainer's tone of voice. It stared at Ash as he continued to shout at it.  
  
"Charizard, get back on your feet this instant!" Ash yelled.  
  
Charizard would have none of this anymore, and fired a blast of fire at its Trainer. Misty and Brock dove out of the way of the oncoming blast, but Ash wasn't so lucky, as he was more than a little burned up by Charizard's outburst.  
  
*****  
  
Tracey, watching the events of Ash's Round 3 match on television, almost spit out his drink as he saw Charizard attack his friend.  
  
"Oh no, not again," he said.  
  
"I don't believe this!" the TV announcer said. "Charizard has turned around and attacked its own trainer. I've never seen anything like this in a Masters Tournament. What could be going wrong?"  
  
*****  
  
"Charizard, what's wrong?" Ash asked. Charizard only answered with a terribly loud roar, and turned around, refusing to obey Ash anymore.  
  
"Looks like your Charizard has an obedience problem," Maria said. "Then again, maybe it's the trainer who has the problem."  
  
Ash began to fume over that comment and tried to get Charizard to attack, but his Pokémon would not listen to any of his commands.   
  
"Don't tell me he's losing it," Gary said.  
  
"What's wrong with Charizard?" May asked.  
  
"I don't know," Professor Oak said. "Charizard hasn't acted this way in a long time. I wonder what the problem could be."  
  
Maria prepared to give Swimurai its orders to attack when they heard the familiar sound of a field change. The water began to drain from the arena as everyone looked on and wondered which field would be next. The next battlefield began to rise up from the depth of the stadium. Soon a forest of trees began to surround the platforms where Charizard and Swimurai were waiting.  
  
"A grass-type field," Brock said.  
  
"It doesn't matter that your Pokémon wants to fight anymore or not," Maria said. "Swimurai and I are going to finish this. Samurai Strike!"  
  
"Charizard, please!" Ash shouted, almost on the verge of begging his Pokémon to move. Charizard paid no attention to Ash, but quickly fly up out of the trees and it saw Swimurai cutting through them to get to it.  
  
"Go up and fight it," Maria said. Swimurai jumped up to the canopy of the trees and began to fire water attacks at Charizard. Using its powerful wings, Charizard quickly flew from side to side, trying its best to dodge the aqua blasts. Now starting to grow annoyed at its opponent as well as Ash, it flew down to where Swimurai was and grabbed hold of it, then flying back up into the air.  
  
"Charizard, please do this for me," Ash thought to himself. Charizard finally came to a rest in the air, then decided to fling Swimurai to the trees below. The Water and Steel-type Pokémon fell at an amazing speed towards the foliage before slamming hard into the fake forest, clearing an open spot where it landed as trees all around it fell backwards from the impact. Charizard landed in the clearing as Swimurai was coming to its feet. The weakened Swimurai made a desperate lunge at Charizard, who was now feeling rejuvenated with rage. Ash and Maria could only try and watch on through small openings in the trees. Charizard nailed the oncoming Swimurai with its huge tail, then proceeded to pick up one of the downed trees and slowly walked towards Swimurai. Just as Maria's Pokémon was once again regaining its footing, Charizard smashed it with the tree trunk. Swimurai was sent flying out of the forested arena and into the wall just to Maria's left. It wasn't even to make an attempt to get back up after that attack.  
  
"Swimurai is no longer able to battle," the referee said. "The winner of the battle and the match are Ash Ketchum and Charizard."  
  
"Ash Ketchum has won this third round match after an incredible duel between two Pokémon powerhouses," the announcer said. "However, he should consider himself lucky this time, after his Charizard decided to take on a mind of its own. I wonder what the problem could have been?"  
  
Maria recalled her Pokémon as the field began to slowly shift back to its regular state. Charizard flew into the air and cried a powerful roar, shooting a Flamethrower attack up into the air in celebration. It then turned to face Ash, with a not-too-happy look on its face.  
  
"Ash, you better recall Charizard," Misty suggested. "It might try something else."  
  
"Charizard, return!" Ash said, pointing its PokéBall up towards his Pokémon and pulling it back into it. He was feeling quite angry at Charizard's sudden disobedience, and he was left wondering what in the world caused it. Misty and Brock had a pretty good idea, but decided they should keep it to themselves for the moment.  
  
"Good battle, Ash," Maria said, after having walked over to the other side of the field to shake Ash's hand.  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Ash said, refusing her handshake and instead turned around and walked out into the tunnel.  
  
"Misty, I think we better find out what's wrong with Ash," Brock said.  
  
"Yeah, you're right," Misty said, growing very worried. "If we don't, Ash might not last much longer in the competition."  
  
As Misty and Brock exited the tunnel into the stadium to try and catch up to Ash, Misty couldn't help but notice someone watching them, laughing, She realized it was the man who they had run into after arriving on Master's Island. She wondered why he was laughing, but decided to forget about it for now as she and Brock hurried to get to Ash. 


	7. Unprepared for Trouble

"Chapter 7: Unprepared for Trouble"  
  
"Hang in there, Pikachu," Ash said. "Don't let me down."  
  
Pikachu breathed heavily, staring down its opponent, a Ludicolo. The Water and Grass-type Pokémon was gasping for air as well. Both Pokémon very pushing themselves to the limit, giving their all for their trainers. Ash focussed in on his opponent, as well. She was a trainer by the name of Serena, from Johto. Ash could see the determination in her eyes, trying to match that of his. He knew he couldn't give in now. Both trainers were down to their last Pokémon in this Round 4 match, and Ash had faith that Pikachu could do this.  
  
"Ludicolo, Water Gun!" Serena commanded. Ludicolo launched its water-based attack at the anticipatory Pikachu. The electric type jumped into the air to avoid the attack, its cheeks beginning to spark as it rose above the battlefield.  
  
"Finish it off with Thunder!" Ash yelled. Pikachu called forth all the electrical power it could muster, summoning a huge bolt of lightning down from the sky that was already darkened by an incoming storm. The electrical blast surged towards the ground, striking Serena's Pokémon with precision accuracy.  
  
"No!" Serena shouted, by her cries could do no good. Her Pokémon's body coursed with electrical energy until it could no longer stay on its feet. Ludicolo fainted, falling over backwards. The match was Ash's.  
  
"Pikchu has defeated Ludicolo," the referee said. "Ash Ketchum is the winner!"  
  
Ash and Serena walked to the center of the arena as rain began to trickle down from the clouds above. They shook hands for a tough and exciting Masters Tournament match.  
  
"Great job, Ash," Serena said. "There's no shame in losing to a better opponent."  
  
"I know," Ash said, shaking her hand. He said nothing more and turned to walk back to where his friends were. Brock and Misty watched as he walked past them without saying so much as a word. There was no excitement on his face, no shouts of joy, nothing. It was so unlike Ash in a Pokémon tournament, and both Brock and Misty knew that very well.  
  
"Ash, wait up," Misty said. "We need to talk."  
  
"Yeah, man," Brock added. "If something's wrong, you know you can always tell us."  
  
"Look, I told you last night, I'm fine," Ash said.  
  
"No, something's different," Brock continued. "Your battle style is verging on ruthless. You've never acted like this before. Charizard won't even listen to you. I think you're taking this whole thing too seriously."  
  
"It is serious, Brock!" Ash snapped back. "I've trained my whole life for this tournament."  
  
"Well you're pushing your Pokémon too hard," Misty said.  
  
"I have to, and they know it," said Ash. "If I don't, I won't get their best. They want this as much as I do. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. End of discussion."  
  
Misty and Brock looked into each other's eyes. They both knew there was something else going on here. Something had to be causing this. They just didn't know what.  
  
"Let's just leave it alone for now," Brock said.  
  
"You're right," Misty said. "This is something he's going to have to figure out for himself."  
  
*****  
  
"Is this the one?" a voice asked.  
  
"Room 150, this is it," another voice said.  
  
"Let's do dis," a third voice chimed in.  
  
The three shadowy figures huddled around the hotel room door in the darkness of the night. The rain was pouring down upon their heads but they ignored it. They had a job to do. Slowly one of them picked the door's lock with a hairpin and quietly opened the door. They tiptoed into the room, careful not to awake its inhabitant. Searching the room, they found what they were looking for: a belt amidst a pile of clothes; a belt that housed five PokéBalls on it. They skirted over towards the bed, where they noticed there was a familiar Pikachu sleeping on top of the covers.  
  
"Should we chance it?" one voiced asked.  
  
"Only if you like getting 10,000 volts sent through your system," another voice replied. "The rest of his Pokémon are more than enough. Let's get out of here."  
  
The three figures quietly headed back towards the door and slipped out unnoticed, forgetting to close the door behind them.  
  
*****  
  
Misty awoke to a loud banging sound against her hotel room door. She rubbed her eyes as they tried to adjust to the early morning sunlight shining in through the window. She checked the alarm clock, which read 7:02 AM.  
  
"Wake up, Misty!" a voice at the door shouted. She recognized that voice, and got out of bed, slowly making her way to the door.  
  
"What is it, Ash?" she asked as she opened the door. "Don't you know what time it is?"  
  
"Misty, somebody stole my Pokémon!" Ash shouted.  
  
"What?!" Misty exclaimed.  
  
"I-I woke up this morning," Ash said, still in a bit of a panic, "the door was open. They were all gone! Except Pikachu. But somebody broke in and stole all my PokeBalls! And my match is in five hours!"  
  
"Okay, calm down Ash," Misty said, trying to be reassuring. "Go see Officer Jenny. I'll wake everyone else up and let them know what's happened."  
  
"Right, Officer Jenny!" Ash said, already starting to run off, with Pikachu chasing close behind.  
  
*****  
  
Officer Jenny was preparing to open up the island's Main Police Station. She fumbled with the keys as she sipped her morning coffee, trying to wake up. She finally managed to get the door open when she heard the shouts of someone behind her.  
  
"Officer Jenny!" Ash shouted as he dashed up to the officer. "You've got the help me!"  
  
"Whoa, calm down," Jenny said. "It's a little too early for all the shouting."  
  
"I'm sorry but it's an emergency!" Ash explained. "Somebody stole my Pokémon!"  
  
"Are you sure?" Jenny asked.  
  
"Yes! I woke up this morning and they were all gone, and the door was open, so somebody must have broken into my room last night while I was asleep!"  
  
"Leave it to me. I'll put all the other Jennys on alert, and--"  
  
  
  
Officer Jenny wasn't even able to finish her sentence as Ash had already taken off, leaving a trail of dust in his speedy exit.  
  
"We're going to have to help look too, Pikachu," Ash said as he ran alongside his remaining Pokémon. "We don't have much time!"  
  
*****  
  
"I can't believe we finally did it!" James said, running his hands through the PokéBalls. "We finally stole that twerp's Pokémon!"  
  
"Yes, but no Pikachu," Jessie said. "I don't know, maybe we should have swiped it too."  
  
"Who cares about dat Pikachu," Meowth said. "He ain't going to have enough Pokémon to battle wit in his match today, and dat's all dat matters."  
  
"You're right," Jessie conceded. "After all, this was about revenge."  
  
"Yes, I know, revenge for all that kid did to us over the years," James added. "But are you sure this was the right thing to do?"  
  
"Don't be so soft, Jimmy," Meowth said. "Of course it wasn't da right ting to do. Dat's why we did it."  
  
"I guess," James said, continuing to have second thoughts.  
  
"Hey!" a voice shouted. The former-Team Rocket trio turned around to see a young man standing at the entrance to alleyway where they were trying to stay hidden. He was about 6-foot tall, with a blue baseball cap covering his fairly long brown hair. He stood firm, he arms crossed over his chest with a serious look on his face. "What are you doing with those PokéBalls? Who are you?"  
  
"Do you think it's time to bring the motto out of retirement?" Jessie asked.  
  
"Sounds good to me," James replied.  
  
"Get lost kid, or prepare for trouble!"  
  
"Back out now or we'll make it double!"  
  
"To protect the world from devastation."  
  
"To unite all peoples within out nation."  
  
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."  
  
"To extend our reach to the stars above."  
  
"Jessie."  
  
"James."  
  
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"  
  
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"  
  
"Meowth, dat's right!"  
  
"Hey, I know you three," he realized.  
  
"And don't we know you?" James asked.  
  
"Now I remember! You three were from Team Rocket! You stole my Pokémon at an Indigo League competition nine years ago!"  
  
"That's right, you're the twerp's friend!" Jessie said.  
  
"My name is Richie," he said. "Now that we've been introduced again, I suggest you hand over those PokéBalls. The whole island is on alert for a group of criminals who stole a trainer's Pokémon, and I think you are those thieves!"  
  
"Sorry kiddo," Meowth said, "but you got da wrong criminals. Besides, we always like ta do tings the easy way!""  
  
The cat-type Pokémon jumped up into Richie's face and unleashed his claws upon him, scratching up the young Pokémon trainer. Jessie and James ran past him as well as he held onto his face I pain. Richie tried to shake off it off and realized the three were escaping out of the alleyway and into the street.  
  
"Hey, get back here!" he shouted at them.  
  
*****  
  
"Ash, there you are!" Misty shouted after finally locating her boyfriend, who was frantically searching through some bushes along the side of the main street. Brock and Gary followed closely behind her. They had been running around for hours trying to find him.  
  
"We've been looking all over the island for you," Brock said.  
  
"No time to talk!" Ash said, checking his watch. "I've only got a few minutes to find my Pokémon before the match starts!"  
  
"Why don't you see if you can get the match delayed?" Gary asked. "I'm sure they'll understand."  
  
Before Ash could answer, their attentions were shifted to the sound of someone shouting from the south of where the group was standing. They looked to see Jessie, James, and Meowth running up the hill towards them, fast. Richie was chasing close behind.  
  
"Team Rocket?" Ash wondered. "What are they doing here?"  
  
"Gang way!" the three shouted as the reached the top of the hill and proceeded to run right into Ash, sending them all to the ground. Several PokéBalls came loose from James' possession and which became scattered on the ground around them.  
  
"Quick, don't let them get away!" Richie shouted.  
  
"Richie, is that you?" Brock asked, realizing just who it was who was chasing Team Rocket. "Why are you here?"  
  
"Hi guys," Richie said, coming to a stop where the collision had occurred. "No time to explain that. Those three were the ones who stole the Pokémon!"  
  
"You mean it was them?" Ash asked, coming to his feet again after the crash.  
  
"I thought you three went straight," Misty said, a little confused by the sudden news.  
  
"Well, uh, you see," James stuttered. "We did try and become honest Pokémon trainers after Team Rocket disbanded."  
  
"He's right," Jessie added. "Except we really sucked at that, and we realized something was missing from our lives."  
  
"Yeah, evil!" Meowth said gleefully. "We're forever destined to be da bad guys."  
  
"Well it's about time you learn crime doesn't pay," Ash said. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"  
  
"Oh no, not again!" the trio said.  
  
"Pika...CHUUUU!" Pikachu shouted, sending a massive shock their nemesises. The shock sent them running away down the street, crying in pain.  
  
"You haven't seen the last of us!" they shouted. "But for now, it looks like Team Rocket's running away again!"  
  
"And don't come back!" Misty shouted, sticking her tongue out at them as they ran into the distance.  
  
"Thanks, Richie," Ash said, shaking his friend's hand. "Boy, I haven't seen you in awhile. Why are you here, anyway?"  
  
"Ash, I'm competing in the Masters Tournament too," he said.  
  
"You are?!" Ash exclaimed.  
  
"Well, yeah," said Richie. "I just won my Round 5 match earlier this morning before I happened to stumble upon Team Rocket. In fact, I'll be facing you in the next round if you manage to win today."  
  
"That's right, the match!" Ash said, realizing he was now late for it. He bent down to pick up his now recovered PokéBalls when he noticed there was a problem.  
  
"There's only four!" he exclaimed, instinctively realizing which one was missing. "Where's Charizard's PokéBall?!"  
  
"Forget about it," Gary said. "If you don't get to the stadium right now, you're going to be disqualified."  
  
Ash didn't exactly like the idea of abandoning Charizard. It was already upset at him, and this wouldn't exactly help that. Still, he had no choice. He knew this match only required three Pokémon, so he would have to win it without Charizard's help.  
  
"Come on, let's go," he said, the sound of great displeasure in his voice. They all followed Ash in running to the stadium. Time was of the essence now. 


	8. Round 5: Reality Check

"Chapter 8: Round 5 - Reality Check"  
  
"Where is he?" Damon asked. Ash's next opponent, Damon Zenrai, paced anxiously in the center of the battlefield, waiting for his counterpart to arrive to get this 5th round match underway. He checked his watch, noticing Ash was now going on 15 minutes late. The referee was also waiting impatiently, getting ready to give the match to Damon at his request. Damon didn't want that. He didn't want to advance on disqualification. He had made it all the way to the finals four yeas ago and was determined to make it there again this year by winning all his watches the proper way.  
  
"Hurry up, Ketchum," he said.  
  
"Will Ash Ketchum please report to Stadium 4," said the PA announcer through the loudspeakers that echoed throughout the island. "Your Round 5 match is about to begin."  
  
"I'm almost there!" Ash shouted as he rushed into the stadium. Misty, Brock, and Pikachu ran behind him.  
  
"Why does he always do this?" Professor Oak wondered, anxiously waiting for the match to begin from his seat in the stands.  
  
"Ash does like to be fashionably late," May said.  
  
"Or he's in trouble again," Delia added, now growing a little concerned.  
  
"Knowing that boy, it's probably the latter," said Professor Oak.  
  
"Gramps!" Gary shouted, rushing over to take his seat beside his grandfather. Richie followed behind him, taking the seat open next to Gary's.  
  
"There you are," Professor Oak said. "Where's Ash? Did he find his Pokémon?"  
  
"Yeah," Gary said. "Well, most of them."  
  
"Most of them?" May asked.  
  
"I helped track them down," Richie said. "Unfortunately, Charizard's PokéBall is still missing."  
  
"Well thank you anyway, Richie," Delia said. "At least Ash will have enough Pokémon to battle with. I just hope he gets here soon."  
  
"There he is!" May shouted, pointing to Ash as he dashed into the arena.  
  
"I'm here!" Ash yelled, running up to where his opponent was standing. "I'm here!"  
  
"About time," Damon said.  
  
"Sorry," Ash began to explain as he panted from the run over. "My Pokémon kind of got stolen."  
  
"Oh, so you're the trainer," Damon realized. "Did you get them back?"  
  
"Yeah, all except one."  
  
"Well if you want to delay the match until you find it, that's alright with me. It wouldn't be honorable to beat a trainer who wasn't able to fully compete because of what you've been through."  
  
"If a trainer has the required number of Pokémon, the battle must proceed," the referee said.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Ash said. "The rest of my Pokémon will be more than enough."  
  
"Then let's get this battle undeway," the referee announced. "In this Round 5 battle, a Pokémon will only be able to use Special attacks and defensive moves. No physical attacks will be allowed. Use three Pokémon in this battle, and battle with only one at a time. Good luck to you both. Please take your places."  
  
Ash and Damon walked to their respective sides of the field, taking their spots in the Trainer's boxes. Ash considered carefully which Pokémon he would use.  
  
"Ash, are you ready?" Misty asked. "You look a little nervous."  
  
"Me, nervous?" Ash asked, brushing off that thought. "Never. I can take this guy easy. Just watch me."  
  
Ash took the first PokéBall he was going to use off his belt, pressing the button on it to enlarge the ball.  
  
"Feraligatr, I choose you!" he shouted, tossing the ball out onto the field. It popped open, and Ash's Feraligatr emerged from it. Standing tall on the center of the field and flexing its muscles and jaws, it readied itself for battle.  
  
"That's a nice Feraligatr," Damon said. "However, it's no match for my strongest Pokémon. I doubt any of yours will be. This match will be over before it begins. Go, Dragonite!"  
  
Damon threw out his first Pokémon, Dragonite. It came out of its ball and faced Feraligatr at midfield.  
  
"Uh-oh," Brock said. "You sure you can handle a Dragonite?"  
  
"I can handle anything," Ash said confidently.  
  
"I hope so," Misty said quietly.  
  
"So this Round 5 match begins with two terrifyingly powerful Pokémon, Feraligatr and Dragonite," the announcer said. "These Pokémon will only be able to attack with their Special moves, so how well they've been raised will be key here today."  
  
"Let the battle commence!" the referee announced.  
  
"Feraligatr, Hydro Pump!" Ash ordered. The large gator-Pokémon reared its head back and let loose a massive blast of water from its mouth straight at Damon's Dragonite. The water spouting forth from Feraligatr slammed into Dragonite with intense force, pushing the Dragon-type backwards. Dragonite stood its ground, though, not letting Feraligatr get the best of it. It turned its back to its foe, using its wings to shield its body from the Hydro Pump attack. The oncoming water deflected off Dragonite's large wing and into the air.  
  
"Keep it up!" Ash shouted. Feraligatr continued to fire water from its mouth at its adversary. It was having little effect, however, as Dragonite's wings and natural resistance to water provided more than enough protection from Feraligatr's attack.  
  
"Dragonite, into the air!" Damon commanded. His Pokémon dashed up into the air, a few feet above the ground and over the Hydro Pump. Feraligatr finally let up its attack.  
  
"Don't quit!" Ash yelled. "Keep attacking!"  
  
Feraligatr blasted another spurt of water at the flying Dragonite, but it missed. Damon's Pokémon had too much room in the air to dodge attacks and was flying from side to side to avoid each and every blast of water sent at it by Feraligatr. Ash's Pokémon eventually let up again, as it began to run low on water.  
  
"You've got get Dragonite on the ground," Brock said. "Use can use Feraligatr's Crunch attack then."  
  
"Don't you think I know that?" Ash said, a little annoyed at how the battle was going so far.  
  
"It's too late for that!" Damon shouted over to his opponent's side. "Dragonite, let's end this. Thunderbolt!"  
  
An electrical spark emanated from the top of Dragonite's head and grew into a larger ball. It sent the gathering electrical attack right for Feraligatr, connecting with it perfectly. Dragonite continued to poor on the juice as it electrocuted the Water-type. Feraligatr tried to stand strong against the electrical onslaught, but its pain was beginning to get the best of it, forcing it onto a knee.  
  
"Stay strong, Feraligatr," Ash said. "Break free!"  
  
Feraligatr tried to stand back on its own two feet to escape the continuing Thunderbolt but it was growing too weak. Dragonite was just too strong.  
  
"Fer...al...li," Ash's Pokémon said, trying its hardest to listen to Ash's commands telling it to stay up, but it couldn't. It began to blackout and fall to its knees again.  
  
"Dragonite, let up," Damon said. "It's finished."  
  
Dragonite stopped its electrical blast and returned to the ground in front of Damon. Feraligatr collapsed before them, no longer able to battle.  
  
"Feraligatr has been defeated," the ref said. "Dragonite is the winner!"  
  
"Blast it!" the now furious Ash said. He whipped out Feraligatr's PokéBall and quickly recalled it.  
  
"And in a dominating performance, Dragonite has beaten Feraligatr," the announcer said. "If Ash doesn't do something quickly, he could be gone from this tournament just as fast."  
  
"Sceptile, I choose you!" Ash said, sending out his next Pokémon.  
  
"Since you lost the last battle," Damon said, "it only seems fair to let you have the first move, Ash."  
  
"That's very nice of you," Ash said sarcastically. "You're still going down. Sceptile, Leaf Blade!"  
  
Sceptile launched its sharp leaf blades at Damon's Dragonite, striking it in the chest area. The Dragon Pokémon stood strong, not letting the damage it suffered effect it at all.  
  
"Again!" Ash yelled. Once again, Sceptile used its Leaf Blade, but Dragonite simply swatted this attack aside with its hands. Sceptile's attack just weren't enough to hurt Damon's rock-steady Dragon-type. Damon himself couldn't help but laugh at the feeble attempts of Ash's Pokémon.  
  
"Like I said, you didn't stand a chance," Damon said, still laughing. "Dragonite, Fire Blast."  
  
Dragonite sent the blast of fire streaming from its mouth towards Sceptile. With nowhere to go, Ash's Grass-type could only try and tough it out. The Fire Blast landed on target, severely singing Sceptile and causing it to fall over on its side. It tried to regain its footing, but its burns were quickly draining its remaining energy. Sceptile stumbled back to the ground and lay there, no longer having the strength to move.  
  
"Sceptile is defeated," announced the referee. "Dragonite wins this battle."  
  
"And with one powerful Fire Blast, Dragonite further pushes Ash Ketchum to the brink," said the announcer. "Ash's next Pokémon better be something good, but even so, this could be a hole too big to dig out of."  
  
"Oh great, now what do I do?!" Ash exclaimed as he recalled Sceptile. His frustration was growing by the second. He knew this might be it.  
  
"Pi-Pikachu-Pika!" Pikachu said, motioning to Ash that it wanted to enter battle.  
  
"No," Ash said. "I'm not letting you battle, Pikachu."  
  
"Pika-Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted back, wanting badly to go out there and challenge Dragonite.  
  
"I'm not going to let you get hurt again," Ash said. "I know you've battled a Dragonite before, but not by yourself. You can't handle this one. It's too powerful for you to take down on your own."  
  
"Pika...." Pikachu said, very disappointed at not being allowed to fight.  
  
"Ash, you don't have much of a choice!" Brock said. "You can't use Snorlax since it doesn't know any Special attacks, and you don't have Charizard. You have to face facts. Let Pikachu battle."  
  
"Hey, wait a second!" Misty realized. "What about your 6th Pokémon, Ash?"  
  
"That's right," Brock said. "You haven't even told us what it is."  
  
"I can't use it yet," Ash said.  
  
"What do you mean you can't use it yet?" Misty asked.  
  
"I'm waiting until the finals. I don't want to use it until then."  
  
"Well if you don't use it now you aren't going to make it to the finals!"  
  
As much as Ash didn't want to admit it, she was right. He was out of options. He really wanted to keep that Pokémon a surprise for his final opponent, but his hand was now being forced. He decided it was time. If he didn't use this Pokémon now, Damon would be his final opponent.  
  
"You're right," Ash said, taking the PokéBall of his 6th and final Pokémon off his belt. "The time has come."  
  
"So are you finally going to choose your Pokémon, Ash?" Damon asked. "I think you've delayed the inevitable long enough."  
  
"You're right, I have," Ash said. "Prepare yourself, Damon. This Pokémon is all I need. PokéBall, go!"  
  
Ash tossed his final PokéBall out onto the field. It opened up at center field before Dragonite, revealing Ash's last hope to advance to the next round of the Pokémon Masters Tournament. 


	9. Last Resort

"Chapter 9: Last Resort"  
  
"I...I don't believe it!" Gary said, obviously shocked at the appearance of Ash's final Pokémon. Everyone else in the audience had an equal amount of shock....well, almost everyone.  
  
"I knew it would come to this," Professor Oak said.  
  
"Mew!" Ash's Pokémon said as it floated in the air before Dragonite at centerfield.  
  
"You never told us you had a Mew," Misty said, still in a little bit of awe herself.  
  
"I didn't tell anyone except Professor Oak," Ash explained. "It was going to be my top-secret weapon for the Masters Tournament finals."  
  
"How long have you had it?" Brock asked.  
  
"About seven months now," said Ash. "It was weird. I was training in the forest and it just appeared before me. I was so in awe of it, I hardly knew what to do. Finally I attempted to capture it, but it soundly beat all my Pokémon. Then, strangely, it seemed like it wanted to be with me. It let me capture it. I've been training it hard ever since, waiting for this day. Now it's here."  
  
"I've seen many things in my years covering this tournament," the announcer said, "but this takes the cake. Ash Ketchum has sent out a Mew, one of the rarest Pokémon on Earth. I take back what I said. I think he might have a chance at a comeback."  
  
"I don't know how you managed to get your hands on a Mew," Damon said, "but you're still not going to win this. I still have all three of my Pokémon left. There's no way you can beat them all with only one Pokémon, no matter what it is."  
  
"We'll see about that," Ash said with a chuckle, his confidence now fully restored.  
  
"Dragonite, Thunderbolt!" Damon shouted. Damon's Pokémon attacked again with its electric-based attack, sending it straight at Ash's Mew. Mew surrounded itself with a pink bubble, protecting it from the oncoming blast. The electric attack collided with the bubble, then simply fizzled out.  
  
"Try a Fire Blast!" Damon said with a bit of desperation growing in his voice. Dragonite once again used the powerful Fire attack. Mew quickly floated around in a circle and the Fire Blast flew by it, missing completely. Mew gleefully laughed at its acrobatic move.  
  
"My turn," Ash said. "Mew, Confusion!"  
  
Mew floated closer to Dragonite and fired a beam of multi-colored light from its eyes at its opponent. The Psychic-type attack hit home, leaving Dragonite slightly dazed. It wobbled about, walking around in circles and trying to maintain balance.  
  
"Shake it off!" Damon yelled. "Try a Water Gun attack!"  
  
The confused Dragonite let loose with the Water Gun but missed badly as the stream of water flew straight up into the air. Mew quickly took position to attack again.  
  
"Psychic blast!" Ash ordered. "Take it down for good!"  
  
Mew summoned forth all the Psychic energy from all around it, forming a bubble of energy that surrounded its body. With a loud cry of "Mew!" it released the energy and the Psychic attack flew towards the stumbling Dragonite. The powerful purple energy wave was right on target, causing the large Dragon-type to be sent soaring through the air before hit the ground again hard. It lay there on its stomach, disoriented and extremely low on energy. As it tried to raise its head, its last energy reserves ran dry and it fainted.  
  
"Dragonite has been defeated!" the referee shouted.  
  
"Wow, I don't believe my eyes!" the announcer exclaimed. "Just like that, Dragonite goes down and Ash is right back in this!"  
  
"No, it's not possible," Damon said in a state of disbelief. Ash felt a great weight lift off his shoulders with that victory. He knew he still had a chance. He knew Mew could do this. Damon knelt down on one knee and recalled Dragonite. After a few seconds, he stood back up and took out his next PokéBall, trying to remain calm. He reassured himself that he still had the advantage and the match was still his.  
  
"Go, Crawdaunt!" he said tossing his next PokéBall out onto the battlefield. Emerging from it was a Crawdaunt. It scurried before the still hovering Mew at the center of the arena, snapping its large claws to signal it was ready to begin the battle.  
  
"Damon is now going with a Crawdaunt," the announcer said. "Now that Mew is at a severe disadvantage to this Water and Dark type Pokémon, it looks again like Ash Ketchum's great run in this tournament might be nearing its end."  
  
"Crawdaunt is part Dark type," Brock said. "Mew's psychic attacks aren't going to affect it. Be careful, Ash."  
  
"Don't worry, I have a plan," Ash said. "Mew, Transform!"  
  
Mew began to glow brightly before its form began to shift to that of a Crawdaunt. After a few seconds it completed its transformation. Mew was now an exact copy of Damon's Pokémon.  
  
"It transformed!" May exclaimed.  
  
"I didn't know it could do that," a very impressed Gary said.  
  
"Thanks to Ash, the world now knows a great deal more about Mew," Professor Oak said. "I hope to share the information I have learned about it with the world shortly."  
  
"A nice strategy, Ash," Damon said. "However, I doubt you have any experience with a Crawdaunt. I'm afraid you're not going to win this one."  
  
"I know more than you think," Ash called back. "Maybe you should be the one who goes first this time. It only seems fair."  
  
"Hey, as you wish," said Damon. "Crawdaunt, Bubblebeam!"  
  
Damon's Crawdaunt fired its attack at the transformed Mew. Ash's Pokémon put its newly gained claws in front of its body, trying to shield itself from the barrage of bubbles. After several seconds of using Bubblebeam, Crawdaunt ceased the attack, and Mew lowered its pincers, showing no signs of being affected by the blast of bubbles.  
  
"My turn," Ash said. "Mew, use your Crabhammer attack!"  
  
Mew dashed forward with its crab-like legs towards its opponent, its claws ready for a bashing.  
  
"Stop it dead in its tracks," Damon ordered. His Pokémon lifted its own claws as Mew arrived and brought its claws down upon Damon's Pokémon. Crawdaunt's pincers caught the powerful pincers of Mew and tried to hold them up. Mew squeezed hard, trying to wear down its foe. Crawdaunt wasn't giving in.  
  
"Dark Crush!" Damon ordered. A black-colored energy began to emanate from Crawdaunt's claws right into Mew's. The energy started to immobilize Mew as it slowly lost its grip on its opponent. Crawdaunt backed off as it could tell Mew was now helpless and immobilized. It awaited Damon to order his next move.  
  
"Mew, do something!" Ash shouted. "Move!"  
  
Mew struggled to move even an inch as the dark energy still had its grip over it, severely restricting its movement. Damon could sense it was almost over.  
  
"Finish it off with a Crabhammer of your own!" he commanded.  
  
Crawdaunt raised its massive claw high into the air above Mew. The transformed Psychic-type could only helplessly look up at the giant claw hanging high above its head.  
  
"Please Mew!" Ash shouted in desperation. "You've got to move!"  
  
Mew searched inside for all the strength it could find as Crawdaunt began to unleash its Crabhammer down upon it. With one swift move, Mew leapt up into the air, hitting Crawdaunt's claw as it went. The sudden move left Crawdaunt spinning in place as Mew rose into the air above its foe.  
  
"Alright!" Ash shouted in joy. "Give it one final Crabhammer!"  
  
As Mew began to fall back to earth, right overtop of Crawdaunt, it pointed its two huge claws down. Damon's Pokémon looked up to see Mew coming right down on top of it, its two power pincers leading the way. The claws of Mew smashed into Crawdaunt's head, knocking it for an instant loop. It stumbled around for a few seconds before fainting. Mew landed back on the ground and transformed itself back into its more familiar form.  
  
"No!" Damon shouted.  
  
"The comeback continues!" the announcer yelled. "Mew has scored an impressive KO of Damon's Crawdaunt! It all comes down to Damon's last Pokémon, so he better make sure it's something that can handle the, so far, unstoppable Mew!"  
  
"Well Ash," Damon said, "I've got to hand it to you. You are more than a worthy opponent for me. However, I'm afraid it ends here for you. Go, Alakazam!"  
  
Damon tossed out his third and final PokéBall, which opened to reveal the powerful Psychic-type, Alakazam. He knew Mew was a more powerful Psychic Pokémon, but he was hoping he had worn it down enough for his Alakzam to finish it off.  
  
"Damon has a chosen an Alakazam," said the announcer. "It all comes down to a battle of the minds as these two Psychic-types square off to determine who moves on to the semi-finals and who goes home disappointed."  
  
"You ready to decide this thing, Ash?" Damon called out to his opponent.  
  
"Bring it on," Ash said confidently.  
  
"Alakazam, let's use our strategy," Damon said.  
  
"Alakazam," his Pokémon said. Alakazam closed its eyes, and in a flash, disappeared from sight.  
  
"It used Teleport," Brock said.   
  
"Great, now it could be anywhere," said Ash. "Mew, stay on guard!"  
  
"Mew?" the small Psychic-type said, as it floated around in circles trying to locate where Alakazam was going to reappear. Without warning, it appeared behind Mew and gave it a Thunderpunch right in the backside. Mew, a little shocked, quickly turned around to face its opponent, but when it did Alakazam was already gone. It had Teleported away again.  
  
"This is not good," Ash said. Seconds later Alakazam once again reappeared behind Mew, this time striking it with an Ice Punch. Once more, it used Teleport to escape before Mew could retaliate.  
  
"Come on, Mew!" Ash shouted. "Don't just float there and take it! Concentrate and try to sense when it's going to appear again."  
  
Mew closed its eyes and continued to float in midair at centerfield. Its ears focussed in on the sounds around it. It hovered there, waiting for the familiar sound of a Teleport....there. Mew heard the sound from behind it as Alakazam appeared from out of nowhere and prepared to attack with a Fire Punch. Mew opened its eyes and quickly Teleported itself away from the oncoming attack, as Alakazam swung and miss with the Fire-based punch. Mew instantly came back into sight behind Alakazam, and began charging up its psychic powers.  
  
"Alakazam, behind you!" Damon shouted. His Pokémon spun around to see the image of a large wave of psychic energy being blasted straight at it. There wasn't time to Teleport away as the powerful Psychic blast connected with Alakazam, sending it flying backwards. The stunned Psi Pokémon slowly got back to its feet and was left wondering what just hit it.  
  
"Shake it off, Alakazam," Damon said. "We're not going to back down that easily. Show 'em your psychic powers!"  
  
Alakazam raised its two spoons in front of its body and began to generate a purple-colored ball of psychic energy in front of itself. Mew hovered in the air several meters away, waiting to see what its opponent would do next.  
  
"Mew, watch out!" Ash shouted. Alakazam pushed forward the ball of energy and it surged straight towards Mew, who continued to float there in midair. It watched as the Psychic attack screamed towards it, and just as it was about to hit, Mew surrounded itself with its familiar pink bubble and deflected the blast right back at Alakazam.  
  
"No, get out of there!" Damon shouted at his Pokémon as he saw what was about to happen. However, there was no time to react as the mass of deflected energy was flying too fast for Alakazam to escape. It was a direct hit as Alakazam's own attack sailed into its chest area and the intelligent Psychic-type was sent down to the ground. Alakazam lifted one of its spoons into the air to signal it was still able to fight, but its energy ran out and its arm fell back to the field. The spoon fell out of its grip. The match was over.  
  
"Alakazam has been defeated," the referee said. "The winner of this Round 5 match is Ash Ketchum!"  
  
"He's done it!" yelled the announcer. "In one of the most remarkable comebacks I have ever seen in all my years of covering this tournament, Ash Ketchum and his Mew have knocked last year's finalist Damon Zenrai out of the Masters Tournament competition!"  
  
Ash breathed a huge sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his brow. Mew flew over to him and danced around in the air with delight over its victory.  
  
"Good job," Ash said, pulling out Mew's PokéBall and recalling it. "You're going to be my ticket to the championship."  
  
Damon walked over to Ash's side of the battlefield. He was disappointed he had lost, but still, he had a smile on his face. He offered his hand for Ash to shake, and for the first time in several rounds, Ash took it and shook hands with his opponent.  
  
"You're a great trainer, Ash," Damon said. "You battle with honor, and I respect that. I can tell you're not going to go down easy in this competition."  
  
"It's my ultimate goal to win," Ash said. "Right now, there's nothing in the world that's as important. I'm going to give it all I've got to come out on top."  
  
"That was a great battle," Brock said, giving Ash as well-deserved pat on the back.  
  
"Yeah, good job sweetie," Misty said, though still a little worried by Ash's comments. She could tell his determination to win this tournament was slowly taking him over with each passing round. She wondered just how far this would go, but hoped she wouldn't have to find out.  
  
"Don't congratulate me just yet," Ash said. "There's still two more rounds to go."  
  
Ash looked up into the stands at his family and friends continuing to cheer for this triumphant victory. Specifically, he was looking at his friend Richie.  
  
"I've got a feeling my toughest challenge is yet to come," he said. 


	10. Round 6: Double Jeopardy

"Chapter 10: Round 6 - Double Jeopardy"  
  
"It really is good to see you again, Richie," Ash said while scarfing down a hamburger. Richie sat across the table from Ash, also enjoying his lunch, but not quite at the pace that Ash liked to eat. After a bizarre reunion of sorts yesterday, the two friends wanted to do a little catching-up before their 6th Round match later in the day.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Richie said. "I haven't seen you since, what, your 16th birthday? Man, that was quite a day."  
  
"Ugh, don't remind," Ash grumbled.  
  
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad," said Richie. "That was the day you fell in love with Misty, if I'm not mistaken."  
  
"Yeah, and the day I almost lost her," Ash pointed out.  
  
"Anyway," Richie said, trying to change the subject, "you ready for today's match?"  
  
"I was born ready," Ash said confidently. "Even though you're my friend, you know I can't let you win. I've come all this way, I'm not going to back down now."  
  
"I feel the same way," Richie said with a smile. "Battling you is always a fun challenge."  
  
"This time it's about more than fun. The chance to go to the Masters Tournament finals is on the line."  
  
"Yeah, but we can still enjoy the moment. I came here for more than just a chance to win. The experience of competing in this tournament has been a very fun one, and I'm trying to savoir every minute of it."  
  
"Well, if I were you, I'd be more focussed on our match today."  
  
"I guess. So did you find Charizard?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Did you even search for it?"  
  
"Everyone on the island is keeping an eye out for it. I had better things to do last night, like preparing for the match. Besides, they let me transport another Pokémon to put on my team. Not that it matters either way, as I already know what Pokémon I'm going to use."  
  
"You've changed a lot, Ash."  
  
"You bet I have. I'm a much tougher trainer than when we last met."  
  
"No, that wasn't quite what I meant. Forget about it."  
  
Ash was a little confused by that comment. He just hoped that Richie wasn't going to start giving him lectures about what to do while here like Misty and Brock had been trying to do. He knew where he stood. He was doing the right thing. Both trainers had little to say the rest of the lunch hour as they finished up their meals.  
  
*****  
  
"This is it, folks," the announcer said. "This match will determine who moves on into the Masters Tournament finals and who has to keep dreaming for another four years. There's a lot at stake here."  
  
Ash stood in the tunnel, waiting for his name to be called to enter the stadium. Pikachu, as always, stood at his side, with Brock and Misty standing not far behind him. All three could sense the nervousness Ash was feeling at that moment. He would never admit it, but they could tell.  
  
"Please welcome, from the Kanto region, Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum!" the announcer shouted to the crow. Ash slowly walked out of the tunnel and onto the field, the fans cheering wildly with delight. Ash took his familiar place and awaited his opponent.  
  
"And now, at the other end of the stadium," the announcer continued, "also representing the Kanto region, here's fellow Pokémon Master Richie!"  
  
Richie entered the arena from his tunnel and took his place. The two friends looked across the field at each other, knowing that only one of them would get the chance to compete for the Masters Tournament cup two days from now.  
  
"Good luck, Ash!" Richie shouted.  
  
"Yeah, you too," Ash said.  
  
"Here are the rules," spoke the referee. "This Round 6 match will be a Double Battle. Each trainer will use two Pokémon in this battle, and you will use both of them at the same time. The match will end when both of a trainer's Pokémon can no longer battle. Call your first Pokémon out now."  
  
"Pikachu, are you ready?" Ash asked.  
  
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said with excitement, dashing out towards the center of the field. Ash waited for Richie to send out his first Pokémon, though he had a pretty good idea of which one it was going to be.  
  
"Sparky, go!" Richie shouted, throwing out a PokéBall. Sparky appeared from the ball across from Pikachu on Richie's side of the field.  
  
"Raichu," Sparky said.  
  
"A Raichu?" Ash wondered, a little taken aback. "You evolved Sparky?"  
  
"Yeah," Richie said. "Sparky wanted to evolve for me, so I couldn't say no."  
  
Pikachu and Sparky walked up to one another and shook paws as they reacquainted themselves with one another. Pikachu could tell that Sparky was a little different now. Not just in physical form, but in personality. It seemed a lot tougher and less friendly, though it was still treating Pikachu like its old buddy.  
  
"Here comes number two!" Richie said, throwing out the PokéBall of his next Pokémon that would be competing in this double battle.  
  
"It doesn't matter what he sends out," Ash said, taking a PokéBall off his belt. "I'm going to use Mew to take it down fast."  
  
Richie's second Pokémon materialized from its PokéBall and onto the battlefield next to Sparky. The massive Pokémon towered overtop of Pikachu and Sparky. They both stretched their necks up to see the large, menacing figure of a Tyranitar looming over them.  
  
"Uh-oh," Ash said, suddenly rethinking his course of action.  
  
"I think you better forget about Mew," Brock said.  
  
"I think you're right," Ash agreed, putting Mew's PokéBall back onto his belt and removing a different one. "New plan. I'll go with the Pokémon I just received."  
  
Ash tossed the PokéBall of his latest addition to his team onto the field, and appearing from it was the Bug and Fighting-type Pokémon, Heracross."  
  
"And the Pokémon are set," said the announcer. "It's Ash's Pikachu and Heracross versus Richie's Raichu and Tyranitar. With so much on the line, this is bound to be a terrific match, so let's get Round 6 underway!"  
  
"Alright guys," Ash called out to his Pokémon. "Just concentrate on taking one at a time. Pikachu, you handle Sparky. Heracross, take Tyranitar."  
  
"Ash, don't you think your Pokémon should work as a team for this one?" Misty asked.  
  
"She might be right, Ash," Brock added. "Richie's Pokémon have a definite size advantage. Challenging each one-on-one might not be the best strategy."  
  
"I know what I'm doing," Ash said snidely, ignoring their advice.  
  
"Fine, be that way," Misty replied back.  
  
"Alright, both of you!" Richie shouted to his Pokémon. "Attack Pikachu!"  
  
Richie's Raichu, Sparky, took off running towards its fellow electric-type, preparing to engage it with a Quick Attack. Pikachu quickly jumped out of the way of the speedy Raichu, only to look up to see Tyranitar bearing down on it, ready to strike with its huge claws.  
  
"Team up on Pikachu?" Ash said. "I don't think so. Heracross, get in there and stop Tyranitar!"  
  
Heracross rushed to Pikachu's aide, sliding in front of Tyranitar. It stood in front of it, ready to bear Tyranitar's powerful attack.  
  
"Heracross, use Protect!" Ash shouted. His Heracross crossed its arms in front of its body and took the powerful punch of Tyranitar. Ash's Pokémon didn't even budge from its position, fully receiving the attack without damage.  
  
"Sparky, Thunderbolt on Heracross!" Riched shouted.  
  
"RaiCHUU!" Sparky screamed as it launched its Thunderbolt attack at Ash's Heracross who was now no longer protected. The attack hit, electrifying the Bug Pokémon. Sparky continued to pour on the power until Pikachu intervened, slamming into it hard and cutting the attack short.  
  
"Nice save, Pikachu," Ash said, his attention now shifting back to Heracross, who was trying to recover from its shock while being harassed by Tyranitar.  
  
"Attack Tyranitar with Megahorn!" Ash called out to Heracross. His Pokémon jumped into the air and straight at Tyranitar, ramming its huge horn into the midsection of Richie's Pokémon. Tyranitar, easily withstanding the damage, took hold of Heracross's horn and proceeded to slam it into the ground. Tyranitar lifted its massive foot and brought it down on Heracross's back, pinning it to the dirt. It cried out with a loud roar to let all who could hear it know of it dominance.  
  
"Pikachu, you've got to help Heracross!" Ash shouted. Pikachu, however, was unable to respond to its trainer's calls because it had its hands more than full trying to evade Sparky as it continued to pressure Pikachu with its speedy attacks.  
  
"Come on, Ash, think of something!" May cheered from the stands. "I know you can do it!"  
  
"Both of Ash's Pokémon are in serious trouble!" the announcer said. "Richie seems to have complete control over this match."  
  
"Pikachu, go run towards Tyranitar!" Ash called out after thinking up a new strategy.  
  
"Pika?" Pikachu said inquisitively as it hopped over another one of Sparky's Quick Attacks, not quite sure what Ash was thinking. The small electric-type was beginning to grow tired from all the evading.  
  
"Just do it!" Ash yelled. Pikachu turned its attention away from Sparky and started a mad dash towards Richie's other Pokémon. Sparky, not impressed by Pikachu's lack of willingness to battle it, took off after its adversary. Pikachu came to a screeching halt when it reached Tyranitar. It saw it was busy as it continued to squash Ash's Bug-type. Pikachu turned around and noticed Sparky was almost there as well, and it looked towards Ash for direction, not sure what it was supposed to do now. Ash looked on intently as he watched Sparky come to a stop before Pikachu.  
  
"So far, so good," he thought to himself. Sparky's cheeks began to spark as it prepared to attack Pikachu with a Thunderbolt. Pikachu, still very worried and completely clueless to Ash's strategy, looked at its trainer again, wondering what in the world he was thinking of. Pikachu knew it was only moments away from being blasted by Sparky's electric attack.  
  
"Perfect," Ash said. "Alright Pikachu, this is it. When I say so, jump."  
  
"Quick Sparky, Thunderbolt!" Richie called. His Raichu unleashed its electric shock, trying to finish Pikachu off in one big static blast.  
  
"Now!" Ash yelled. On his command, Pikachu leapt up into the air as Sparky's Thunderbolt sailed underneath of it and right into Tyranitar. The attack was a direct hit as Tyranitar was immediately delivered with a massive amount of voltage right straight into its body. Sparky immediately ceased the attack when it saw what had just happened. Tyranitar fell over in pain, releasing Heracross from its foothold.  
  
"Oh no! Richie shouted. "Get up, Tyranitar!"  
  
Tyranitar slowly got back up onto its feet and resumed its position next to Sparky, more than a little annoyed at the friendly fire it had just received. It bellowed a loud roar at its partner and Raichu began to shout back at it.  
  
"Now, while they're busy arguing!" Ash shouted. "Heracross, fling Pikachu into the air with your horn!"  
  
Heracross bent down and allowed Pikachu to climb up onto its large horn. With one swift motion, it sent Pikachu flying up into the sky directly above their two opponents.  
  
"Pikachu, Thunder!" Ash called out to his Pokémon in the sky. Pikachu summoned a massive bolt of lightning down from the clouds above it and sent it straight down to the ground. The Thunder attack shot down right into Sparky and Tyranitar, severely electrocuting both Pokémon. Pikachu landed back on the ground behind both of Richie's Pokémon.  
  
'Time to end this," Ash said, sensing the ball was now fully in his court as both of Richie's Pokémon were a little stunned. "Heracross, Megahorn! Pikachu, Tackle attack!"  
  
Both of Ash's Pokémon dashed into action. Pikachu raced towards Sparky and Heracross towards Tyranitar. Each Pokémon leapt into the air at their targets at the same time, striking with their attacks in unison. Tyranitar and Sparky reeled backwards from their blows, falling to the ground.  
  
"This can't be it," Richie said. However, deep inside, he knew both of his Pokémon had given it all they could. They each struggled to try and get up, but in the end, neither had enough strength to do it. Both fainted at centerfield.  
  
"The match is over," the referee said. "The winner of this semi-final match is Ash Ketchum!"  
  
"And it's all over folks!" shouted the announcer. "Pikachu and Heracross both KO'd their foes at the same time, and that impressive victory sends Ash Ketchum on to the finals of the Pokémon Masters Tournament! What a match between these two long-time friends!"  
  
Ash and Richie met at midfield after recalling their Pokémon. The two friends shook hands after completing their toughest match against each other yet. Richie, obviously disappointed, was still happy knowing that he lost to a friend and a great Pokémon trainer.  
  
"Great match, Ash," he said. "You really are the best."  
  
"Thanks, Richie," Ash said.  
  
"Good luck in the finals. I know you'll win it for sure, and I'll be there to see it, I promise."  
  
"Don't worry, Richie. I'm going to prepare harder than ever these next couple of days. I'm going to be ready for the finals, and nothing is going to hold me back from that."  
  
Both trainers turned to head back to their respective tunnels to leave the field. After Ash had left the tunnel, he could see Misty standing there waiting for him.  
  
"I knew you could do it," Misty said smiling. "You're almost there."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Ash said. "Hey, where's Brock?"  
  
"He said he wanted to go check something," Misty said, pointing to the Pokémon Breeder a little ways away from where they were standing. "I'm glad to see you realized you needed to use teamwork to win that one."  
  
"I knew it all along," Ash boasted.  
  
"You sure didn't look like it in the beginning."  
  
"I told you I know what I'm doing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of preparing to do before the finals."  
  
Misty grabbed Ash's arm as he tried to walk away from her.  
  
"What's the hurry?" she asked. "You've got two whole days. Come on, let's celebrate this victory."  
  
"I don't have time to celebrate!" Ash said, ripping his arm away from her.   
  
"Why don't you just cool it, Ash? Ever since you won that first match, all you seem to care about is winning this tournament. I know it's important, but it's not the only thing in the world."  
  
"Will you stop being a distraction already? We'll have plenty of time to celebrate if I win. So could you just leave me alone until then?"  
  
"Ash...."  
  
"You heard me, get lost. I'm tired of you trying to tell he how to win this thing. I'm more than capable of winning it on my own, and I don't need you to be a constant distraction."  
  
"Fine, if that's the way you want it, I'm leaving!"  
  
Misty turned around to walk away from her boyfriend, infuriated but at the same time tears were starting to flow from her eyes. She couldn't believe he'd say something like that.  
  
"That's right, keep walking. I don't need you. I'm going to win this tournament on my own, you'll see!"  
  
Misty couldn't take anymore. She started to run away as fast as she could, not wanting to hear anything else from Ash. She kept on running until she was gone from Ash's sight.  
  
"Hey Ash, come here a second!" Brock called to him, unaware of what just had taken place between Ash and Misty.  
  
"What do you want, Brock?!" Ash snapped back, still agitated over Misty.  
  
"Uh, there's something here you need to see," Brock replied.  
  
"Oh fine!" Ash said before trudging over to where Brock was standing.  
  
"What is it, Brock?" the still annoyed Ash said. Brock didn't say anything, he only pointed up to what he was staring at. Ash looked up, and could see Brock was looking at a huge videoscreen. The screen had a picture of the Masters Tournament bracket, which showed all the trainers matched which each of their opponents throughout the tournament. Not sure at what exactly on the screen he was pointing at, Ash looked closer at Brock's hand and he could see he was pointing the center of the screen, where the names of the two people who would be facing off in the finals were. Ash could see his name, but when he saw the name of his next opponent, he froze. A cold shiver went down his spine and the color practically melted off his face. Brock noticed how Ash looked and could have sworn Ash had just seen a ghost.  
  
"I didn't know you had a cousin," Brock said.  
  
"I....I don't," Ash stammered, still in disbelief of the name he was reading.  
  
"Then who is David Ketchum?" asked Brock.  
  
"He's my father," Ash said. 


	11. Like Father, Like Son

"Chapter 11: Like Father, Like Son"  
  
Ash stood in front of his father's hotel room. Standing behind him were Brock and Pikachu, both wondering what Ash was going to do. He had been standing there for several minutes now, not doing anything.  
  
"Pikachu, stay with Brock," he finally said. "This is something I need to do alone."  
  
Ash took a deep breath and prepared to knock on the door. He had no idea what he would say to his father. He hadn't heard from him in over 10 years now. Ash had just assumed he was dead all these years. To him, his father was only a distant memory; Ash couldn't even remember what he looked like. But now, he was about to come face to face with him for the first time since before he could even remember. All of a sudden, his dad was thrust back into his life as his final opponent in the most important Pokémon tournament he would ever participate in. Releasing the big breath that he had taken, Ash finally knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in," a voice said from beyond the door. Ash slowly turned the doorknob and entered the darkened room. The only light inside was shining in through cracks in the window blinds and emanating from the PC monitor. Ash could see a chair in front of the PC, the back of it facing him. He could see his father's head just above the top of the chair.  
  
"Have a seat, Ash," he said. "I knew you would come eventually."  
  
Ash walked over to the room's bed and took a seat at the end of it, just a few feet away from the chair where his father was sitting.  
  
"I need to know something," Ash said. "Are you really my father, David Ketchum?"  
  
"Your father I am," he said, spinning around in his chair to reveal himself to Ash. The person Ash saw staring back at him was almost as big a shock as when he found out his father was here at the tournament. The man before him was the same man Ash had run into after first arriving on Master's Island.  
  
"You," Ash said.  
  
"So, you finally recognize me," David said. "I'm surprised you didn't that first time we crossed paths here."  
  
"It has been a long time, Dad," said Ash.  
  
"I know, son. Far too long. Oh, before I forget, I have a little present for you."  
  
David Ketchum grabbed something that was on the desk behind him and tossed it to Ash. Looking down in his hands, Ash could see his father had thrown him a PokéBall.  
  
"It's your Charizard," David said. "I figured you're going to need it when we battle, if you can get it trained, that is."  
  
"Where did you find this?" Ash asked.  
  
"I have my ways," David said. "I look out for my son."  
  
"Well if that's the case, where have you been all these years?"  
  
"It's a long story, Ash. One I'm not always proud of, but you deserve to know. Do you remember when I first set out to become a Pokémon trainer?"  
  
"Sort of. It was so long ago, I don't remember much from when I was that age."  
  
"Well you were five years old. After making sure you and your mother would be taken care of, I decided to start my Pokémon journey. I know most trainers begin when they're children, but I was denied that opportunity. See, when I was 10 years old, I was very sick. The doctors said I was far too weak to live the life of a Pokémon trainer. Instead, I was stuck in Pallet Town until the age of 16. At that time, my sickness was almost gone, and the doctors gave me clearance to begin Pokémon training. However, I chose not to, because at that same time, I met your mother, and Pokémon began to take a back seat in my life. Your mother was all that was important to me. Eventually, we got married and had you, but as time went on, I realized there was still a hole within myself. I still longed to complete my dream of becoming a Pokémon Master and winning this very tournament."  
  
"So that's why you left."  
  
"Yes. I remember calling you and your mother every time I found a phone along my journey. I loved talking to you both, because it brought me great inspiration to achieve my dream. After two long and hard years of training and collecting Gym badges, I was finally able to enter the Pokémon Masters Tournament."  
  
"I remember watching you in that tournament."  
  
"Well then you must also remember me being a disappointment. I lost in the first round to some hotshot trainer named Lance and his Dragonite. He and his Pokémon crushed all three of mine with one hit each. I was devastated."  
  
"You weren't a disappointment in my eyes. You were my hero."  
  
"I'm a pretty lousy hero then. Every since that loss I dedicated my life to winning the Masters Tournament. I traveled all around the world, winning League championships, training to become better and stronger. I became so obsessed with winning and so ashamed of my defeat that I knew I could never return home until I became an Ultimate Master. I began to call you and your mother less and less until I stopped calling all together. My training had become so intense I simply lost touch with you both. I've come closer to winning in each of the last two Masters Tournaments, but each time my dreams were dashed. And now, here I am, in the finals at last. This time, against my own son."  
  
"So winning is really that important to you, huh? More important than your family?"  
  
"You don't understand, Ash. This is my life-long dream. I have to chase it until it's complete. I am sorry that I neglected my family, though."  
  
"No you're not. All you care about is winning."  
  
"I could say the same about you, son."  
  
"I am nothing like you!"  
  
"Are you? Are you really? I've watched you ever since you first arrived here. I've seen the way you've acted. You've become just like me, son. This tournament has taken you over. The urge to win it all has consumed your life, driving away those you care about, like your little red-headed girlfriend. That's right, I saw your fight with her last night. She's gone, isn't she? You drove her away like I drove my family away."  
  
"That's...that's not true!"  
  
"Look deep inside you, Ash. You know it's true. It's all true. You've started down the same path that I have, and now you're destined to follow it."  
  
"No!" Ash shouted, rising up from the red in anger. "You may have failed those you care about, but I'm not going to let that happen to me. My life is my own, and I can determine my own path. I'm not going to let what happened to you ruin my life."  
  
Ash turned and headed for the door, not wanting to hear anything else from his father. He now wished he had never met him, because his entire image of the great man that he thought his father as was shattered. His hero image of him forever gone.  
  
"You're going down, Ash," David said, his intimidating words halting Ash in his tracks before he could leave the room. "Tomorrow night, the championship will belong to me. I know all your tricks, I've studied up on all your Pokémon, and I'm ready for you. And, as insurance, I've crashed the Masters Tournament database, so there's no way you can study up on me. This tournament is as good as mine."  
  
"So, you're a lousy father and a cheat," Ash said, shaking his head. "I don't care whether or not I win or lose. There are more important things in my life than a stupid tournament. Somewhere I lost sight of that and became like you, but that ends now. I'm going to get my life back."  
  
Ash opened the hotel room door quickly, running out as fast as he could, zipping right by Brock and Pikachu who had stood there waiting for him the whole time.  
  
"Whoa, Ash, where are you going?" Brock called out to Ash as he was speeding away.  
  
"I've got to talk to Misty!" he shouted back. "There might still be time!"  
  
*****  
  
"Misty!" Ash yelled, banging on her hotel room door. "Misty, please open up!"  
  
"Go away!" Misty shouted back from inside the door. She had not left her room at all since her fight with Ash the previous night.  
  
"I need to talk to you, Misty," Ash continued to plead. "Please!"  
  
Ash waited for a response but there was none. It was completely quiet inside the room. All he could do was lean up against the door and feel sorry for himself, feel horrible for what he had done and the things he had said to Misty during the whole tournament. He felt even worse knowing that this was probably it, and he would most likely never even see her again. Ash sulked back to his room, knowing he had really messed things up this time, and they would probably get worse by the time he met his father in battle.  
  
*****  
  
The next morning, Ash sat alone on a bench overlooking the vast ocean before him on one of Master's Island's shorelines. Still feeling sorry for himself, he picked up a rock and skipped it across the water. His silent thinking was interrupted by the sounds of footsteps behind him. He looked up to see his mother. She took a seat next to him on the bench.  
  
"Are you okay, honey?" she asked.  
  
"Far from it, Mom," Ash answered. "I guess you heard that Dad is here?"  
  
"Yes, I've known for quite some time."  
  
"You have?"  
  
"Yes. I ran into him several days ago, but he made me promise not to tell you he was here. He wanted you to discover that on your own."  
  
"Why did he have to change, Mom?"  
  
"That's just what happens to people over time, Ash. He's changed far too much for my liking as well. I wish as much as you do he was the man we shared a family with. But that David Ketchum is gone forever, I'm afraid. It's just the way life works. People change and there isn't really much you can do about it. You've changed a lot yourself too, you know."  
  
"Yeah, into him."  
  
"No, Ash. You've become a much stronger person. I can see that in you, and once you do as well, nothing will ever hold you back from becoming the man you were destined to be."  
  
"Well it's a little too late now. I've already driven Misty away for good."  
  
"Don't worry, she'll come around. She sees the same good things in you that I do. You two have been through too much to let a little fight like this tear you apart. You'll find a way to show her what's in your heart."  
  
"I hope so."  
  
"Ash, I know a lot has been happening over the last couple of days, and I know it's not going to be easy to battle against your father later today, but please find the strength somewhere to give it your best. You've worked so hard to get here. You can't quit now. Everything will work out, I promise. Just promise me you won't give up."  
  
"I promise, Mom."  
  
Ash gave his mom a hug. She let him go and began to leave, as she could tell Ash wanted to be alone to do some more thinking. She watched as her son gazed out towards the horizon at the early morning sunrise. She smiled and walked away.  
  
*****  
  
Ash sat alone in the locker room held within Legends Stadium, the site of the final match in each and every Masters Tournament. Gathered around him were Pikachu, Feraligatr, Sceptile, Snorlax, and Mew. Charizard sat by itself a few feet away, its back facing its trainer.  
  
"Listen guys," Ash said. "I know I've been a real jerk this entire tournament. I should have been focussing on having fun and enjoying the experience of the Masters Tournament, but instead all I cared about was winning, and because of that I pushed you guys too hard. For that, I'm really sorry. I hope you can forgive me."  
  
All of his Pokémon let out shouts of joy and encouragement for their trainer, letting him know they forgave him and wanted to be at his side for this final battle. All of his Pokémon, that is, except Charizard, who continued to face away from Ash.  
  
"Charizard, I don't blame you for not wanting to forgive me," said Ash. "You were the one who stood up and tried to show me the error of my ways by not listening to me. I should have realized what you were trying to tell me, but once again I was too hard-headed to see that. I really need your help for this match, and I want to battle side-by-side with you, but if you don't want to go out there, I won't force you."  
  
Charizard turned around to face Ash, staring him straight in the eye, trying to determine if Ash's words were genuine or not. Slowly the large Fire-type Pokémon walked forward and stood before its trainer. It put forth its claw, wanting to shake hands with him. Ash took Charizard's hand and shook it.  
  
"Thanks, Charizard," Ash said. "I won't fail you again. I won't fail any of you. You have my word."  
  
Ash looked up to see Brock standing in the doorway of the locker room.  
  
"It's time," he said.  
  
"Right," Ash said, rising to his feet. "Are you guys ready for the toughest battle we've ever had?"  
  
All his Pokémon let out cries signaling they were indeed ready to go out there and take on whatever would come their way.  
  
"Good," Ash said. "Then let's do this."  
  
Ash took out all his PokéBalls and recalled his Pokémon into them.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu said, jumping up on Ash's shoulder.  
  
"It's time to show the world what we're made of," Ash said. "It's time to meet our destiny." 


	12. Round 7: The Finals

"Chapter 12: Round 7 - The Finals"  
  
"Welcome, one and all, to Legends Stadium," the TV announcer said. "We are just moments away from the final match here at the Pokémon Masters Tournament. In a script not even the best movie writers could come up with, Ash Ketchum, a first-timer here in the Masters Tournament, has made it all the way to the finals only to come face-to-face with his own father, David Ketchum. This match has all the makings of one of the greatest Pokémon battles of all-time, so don't move a muscle. The Finals are about to get underway."  
  
"Hey, stop hogging all the popcorn!" Tracey said, yanking the bowl of popcorn away from Bulbasaur. He and all of Ash's Pokémon who weren't at the tournament were gathered around a television in Professor Oak's house, anxiously waiting to witness the forthcoming match.  
  
"You can do it, Ash," Tracey said.  
  
*****  
  
"Why aren't you down on the field?" Delia Ketchum asked Brock as he sat next to her in the stands. Also sitting with them were Professor Oak, Gary Oak, May, and Richie, who had all come to cheer on Ash in the most important battle of his life.  
  
"Ash said he wanted to win this one on his own," Brock said.  
  
"And he will!" May shouted.  
  
"Let's hope so," Professor Oak said.  
  
"Still no sign of Misty?" Brock asked.  
  
"I'm afraid not," Delia said. "No one is answering in her room, and I couldn't find her anywhere on the island."  
  
"And, without further ado," said the announcer, "it's my pleasure introduce you all to the two trainers who will be competing here today. First, a winner of two League championships, hailing from Pallet Town, Kanto, please give it up for Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum!"  
  
Ash and Pikachu walked forward from the tunnel where they had been waiting, both looking extremely nervous. The roar of the crowd help to ease Ash's fears, but still, the Butterfrees were flying like crazy in his stomach. He took his spot in the Trainer's Box, trying to look strong for everyone to see.  
  
"At the other end of the stadium," the announcer continued, "also from Pallet Town and a winner of an impressive seven League championships, please put your hands together for Pokémon Master David Ketchum!"  
  
Ash's father exited his tunnel onto the field, feeling as confident as he ever had his entire life. He took his spot in his own Trainer's Box, smiling at Ash across the field. Crossing his arms, he impatiently waited for the start of the match."  
  
"Here are the rules for the Pokémon Masters Tournament Finals," said the referee. "This will be a standard six Pokémon, anything goes match. Each trainer will send out one Pokémon on his team at a time, and whichever trainer has Pokémon remaining at the end of the match will be declared the winner. Are both trainers clear on the rules?"  
  
"You bet," David said.  
  
"Yes," said Ash.  
  
"Good," continued the referee. "Then let this final match begin!"  
  
"Alright Dad," Ash said. "If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get. I'm not backing down now. Mew, I choose you!"  
  
Ash sent out his first Pokémon of the match, the Psychic-type Mew. David chuckled as Mew emerged from its PokéBall at midfield.  
  
"Predictable," he said. "Fortunately, I have the perfect Pokémon to counter it. Darserker, I choose you!"  
  
David Ketchum tossed his first PokéBall out onto the field, and emerging from it was a strange Pokémon unknown to Ash. It stood about six-feet tall, was mostly black in color with a cape draped around its body. Sticking out from the cape were two menacing claws that looked as hard as a rock. Its feet apperared extremely agile and its face looked absolutely terrifying. It had a devilish grin and its two eyes were glowing an eerie red. Ash quickly took out his Pokédex to scan what Pokémon it was before the match began.  
  
"Darserker," Ash's Pokédex said. "The Beserker Pokémon. It uses a combination of Dark and Fighting type moves to savagely beat its opponents. It is one of the hardest Pokémon in the word to tame."  
  
"Trainers ready?" the referee asked. "Let the finals begin!"  
  
"Alright Mew," Ash said. "You know the strategy for beating Dark types."  
  
"Mew!" Ash's Pokémon answered back.  
  
"Get ready, Darserker," David said.  
  
"Don't tell me he's sticking with Mew," Gary said. "It's going to get pulverized."  
  
"Mew, Transform!" Ash called.  
  
"Darserker, now!" David shouted. "Use Shadow Punch! Don't let it transform!"  
  
Darserker lunged at Ash's Mew as it began to glow, beginning its transformation. David's Pokémon let loose with its Shadow Punch, striking Mew before it had a change to fully change. Mew was sent flying backwards, still in its original shape.  
  
"Try again," Ash said. "You've got to Transform or it's all over."  
  
Mew once again tried to begin its transformation. However, Darserker was determined not to let it succeed. It attacked with another Shadow Punch, yet again stopping Mew from changing its shape to that of its foe. Darserker wasn't going to stop there this time, though. It ferociously began to attack Mew with faster, more powerful punches. The small Psychic-type could do nothing but quickly float from side to side and try to avoid them. Darserker, however, was far too accurate with its attacks and connected with Mew at every twist and turn it tried to make. Finally, one of its blows sent Mew down to the ground. There, Ash's Pokémon fainted.  
  
"What a furious start to the Masters Tournament finals," the announcer said. "David Ketchum's Darserker made quick work of Ash's strongest Pokémon, Mew. Could this be the sign of a decisive victory here today for the father Ketchum?"  
  
Ash, disappointed in losing his strongest Pokémon so early in the match, slowly recalled it back into its PokéBall. He now had a tough decision to make. He knew none of his Pokémon were particularly strong against Dark or Fighting types. He took his next PokéBall off his belt, figuring this Pokémon's speed, often underestimated by people, might just do the trick.  
  
"Sceptile, I choose you!" he called, sending out his team's Grass-type Pokémon. Sceptile came out of its PokéBall facing the rather scary-looking opponent it would have to now beat.  
  
"You can do it, Sceptile," Ash said. "I believe in you. Let's show them how important speed is in a battle."  
  
"I'm afraid you're the one with a thing or two to learn, son," David said. "Darserker, Fire Punch!"  
  
Darserker's left fist erupted into a ball of fire before it took off running towards Sceptile. Leaping into the air, it struck the Grass-type with its flaming fist before Sceptile even knew what had hit it. Though a little singed by the attack, Sceptile remained strong trying to show its opponent it wasn't going to be intimidated.  
  
"That's the spirit, Sceptile," Ash said. "Now, use Agility!"  
  
Sceptile raced towards Darserker and began to run circles around it, going faster and faster each time it went around. Darserker tried desperately to attack it with more Fire Punches, but Sceptile was moving too fast to be hit.  
  
"Fine, if that's the way you want to play it," David said. "Darserker, Mind Reader."  
  
Darserker closed its eyes and began to focus, trying to pinpoint Sceptile's exact location in order to hit with an attack. After a few seconds it could see Sceptile amidst the blur it had created from its fast movement. Darserker's eyes snapped open, signaling to its trainer that it was ready to attack.  
  
"Fire Punch!" David yelled.  
  
"Sceptile, quick, get out of there!" Ash shouted. Sceptile stopped its Agility and tried to escape from Darserker's oncoming attack, but it couldn't. The Dark and Fighting-type struck with another Fire Punch, sending Ash's Pokémon to the ground in severe pain. Sceptile struggled to get back up onto its feet, but it was evident to both trainers that its energy was almost gone and it was now a prime target for Darserker to prey upon.  
  
"Uh, try a Leaf Blade," Ash said, unsure whether Sceptile was going to be able to muster anymore attacks. Sceptile fired its razor-bladed leaves at Darserker, but its attack fell well short of its intended target.  
  
"Pathetic," David said. "Darserker, put it out of its misery with one last Fire Punch."  
  
Darserker lunged at Sceptile, intending to take care of Ash's Pokémon for good with this final attack. Ash didn't know what to do, as he wasn't sure what kind of counterattack Sceptile would be able to launch in its weakened condition. Still, one option did come to his mind. He just hoped Sceptile would be able to do it.  
  
"Endeavor!" Ash shouted. Sceptile tried its best to summon all the strength it could find and made its own lunge towards its oncoming foe. Sceptile crashed into Darserker, sending more force at its stronger foe than it received from the attack of David's Pokémon. The stunned Darserker flew through the air backwards and landed quite a ways away from its opponent. The strong blow by Sceptile delivered more damage than either trainer could have imagined as Darserker, trying to rise to its feet again, suddenly fainted.  
  
"Darserker has been defeated," the referee said. "Sceptile is the winner!"  
  
"Impossible!" David yelled in anger.  
  
"Nothing is impossible with Pokémon," Ash said. "It seems you do still have some things to learn."  
  
"So it would seem," David said, gritting his words through his teeth. He was becoming more agitated by the second, and knew it was time to end this now. "Metagross, I choose you!"  
  
David threw out his next PokéBall, summoning forth the huge Steel/Psychic-type, Metagross. It stood before the weakened Sceptile, ready to attack a moment's notice.  
  
"Sceptile, are you okay?" Ash asked. "Are you going to be able to continue?"  
  
Sceptile nodded its head to show that it still wanted to battle, though Ash worried about leaving it out there. He knew it wasn't going to last much longer.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sceptile," said Ash. "I can't let you battle any further. Return!"  
  
Ash took out Sceptile's PokéBall in order to recall it, but David had other ideas.  
  
"Quick Metagross!" he yelled. "Metal Claw!"  
  
The bulky Metagross managed to leap forward and strike Ash's Grass-type with its Metal Claw attack before it could be recalled. Sceptile went down in a hurry and didn't get back up.  
  
"Sceptile can no longer battle," said the referee. "Metagross has won this battle."  
  
"Hey!" Ash shouted at his father. "That's cheating!"  
  
"Sorry son," David said, "but you've got to be quicker on the draw if you want to become an Ultimate Master."  
  
Ash grumbled something under his breath as he recalled Sceptile. He took out his next PokéBall, ready to up the ante of this match.  
  
"Snorlax, I choose you!" he called, throwing the ball out onto the field. Emerging from it was the sleepy-as-always Snorlax. It woke up from its snooze inside the PokéBall and rose to its feet, preparing to take on Metagross.  
  
"Snorlax, Dynamic Punch!" Ash called.  
  
"Block it!" David shouted. Both trainers watched as Snorlax reared back and prepared to launch its powerful punch attack at Metagross. It brought it first forward, trying to lock it on to Metagross as best it could. Metagross simply moved out of the way of the attack and watched as Snorlax swung and missed. The force of the attack caused Snorlax to start spinning in circles, eventually leading to the huge Pokémon's loss of balance. It fell on its back as Metagross was now moving into its attack position.  
  
"Meteor Mash," David said. He wanted to get rid of Snorlax as fast as possible and he knew Metagross's most powerful move would more than do the trick, especially since Snorlax was vulnerable now.  
  
"Snorlax, uh, do something!" Ash said, growing into a bit of a panic from knowing what was about to happen to his Pokémon. Snorlax tried desperately to get back onto its feet but the heavy Metagross jumped on top of it, preventing it from sitting up. Metagross raised its two front claws into the air above it, then jumped straight up. Forming in its claws were several balls of red energy. Ash could see those were the meteors it was about to unleash. He wanted to call out to Snorlax, tell it what to do, but his mind was drawing a blank. He suddenly couldn't think straight anymore. He could only helplessly watch as Metagross let loose its Meteor Mash, sending the attack straight at Snorlax. It collided with the Normal-type hard, instantly knocking it out.  
  
"Snorlax is defeated," the referee said. "Metagross wins."  
  
Ash, at a loss of words for what was happening, recalled Snorlax without saying anything and took out his next Pokémon. He threw its PokéBall onto the battle arena, and Feraligatr was the Pokémon that popped out of it.  
  
"I hope this Pokémon is more of a challenge," David said. "I expected more from you, son."  
  
Ash hated to admit it but his father was right. He was better than this. He tried to focus on the match, but more and more he was losing that focus. He only had one thing on his mind at this point: Misty.  
  
"Let's end this quickly, shall we?" David asked, not expecting a response from his opponent. "Metagross, Meteor Mash."  
  
Metagross once again powered up its signature attack and fired it upon Feraligatr. Ash didn't know how to counter it. He was at a loss for strategy as well as words now. Misty was the only thing coming to his mind now, and it was starting to drive him crazy. When he finally snapped out of his sudden daze, he could see that his Feraligatr was at the breaking point from Metagross's attack. Seconds later it fainted, and Ash knew he was in big trouble now.  
  
"This match is beginning to grow one-sided," the announcer said. "David's Metagross is wiping the floor with each Pokémon Ash sends out, and the young trainer from Pallet seems to be offering no counterattack whatsoever. What could be the cause of this sudden change in attitude for Ash?"  
  
The referee blowing his whistle interrupted Ash's continuing thoughts of confusion.  
  
"Intermission," he said. "Both trainers and their Pokémon are granted a 15 minute break."  
  
"Perfect," Ash thought, turning around and dashing off the field into the tunnel behind him. "I just hope I'm not too late."  
  
"What the...where in the world does that boy think he's going?" Professor Oak asked.  
  
"I think I have a pretty good idea," Delia said. 


	13. Charizard's Last Stand

"Chapter 13: Charizard's Last Stand"  
  
Misty stood at the docks, awaiting the next boat to arrive to take her off Master's Island; a boat that would take her home, far away from this place, and far away from Ash. She had thought about it since her fight with Ash. She wanted to go apologize for her part in that arguement, but of course her stubbornness held her back. Worse, she told Ash to go away when he wanted to talk. She didn't feel like she could face him again. Misty reassured herself this was the right thing to do, and it's what Ash wanted. He said so himself. She wiped away a tear from her eye and looked up to see the boat was approaching.  
  
"I guess it's for the best," she said, stepping forward and preparing to get on the boat. Her attention was suddenly shifted away from the boat and back to the island when she heard a noise come over the island's PA system. It sounded like a struggle before a voice finally came over it.  
  
"Hey, give that back!" a faint voice said over the PA system, which was carried throughout the island.  
  
"Sorry, I need to do this," another voice said. Misty instantly recognized the second voice.  
  
"Ash," she said.  
  
*****  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be down on the field?" the PA announcer asked Ash, who had managed to wrestle away control of the microphone away from him. He had switched off the system, not allowing Ash to speak through it anymore.  
  
"This is more important," Ash said. "Please, turn it back on."  
  
The look in Ash's eyes hit a soft spot in the PA announcer's heart. He could tell this really was important to the young Pokémon trainer, though he had no idea what was planned. He nodded and switched the PA system back on. Ash cleared his throat and prepared to speak into the mike.  
  
"Misty, if you're still out there," he said, "please hear me out for one second. There's something I really need to tell you. You were right. I've been such a jerk lately, and I had no right. You tried showing me, just like everyone else, but I refused to listen. And because of that, I hurt you, and I am so sorry. I love you, Misty. I really need you here. I can't win this without you. I probably would have never won anything if you hadn't been by my side all these years. I can't think about anything else but you, so please, I ask your forgiveness."  
  
After finishing his sentence, Ash went quiet. He handed the mike back to the PA announcer, who was wiping away a few tears that had fallen from his eyes.  
  
"That was beautiful, kid," he said.  
  
"I just hope it wasn't too late," Ash said. He looked at his watched and realized his 15-minute break was almost over. He quickly dashed out of the announcer's booth and back down to field level. Little did he know that Misty had more than gotten his message and was herself running to get to Legends Stadium, equally worried about being too late.  
  
"Hang on, Ash," she said. "I'm coming."  
  
*****  
  
Ash arrived back in his trainer's box where Pikachu had been sitting by itself, anxiously awaiting the return of its trainer. It hopped up with excitement as it saw Ash coming towards it.  
  
"Pikachu!" it said, jumping into Ash's arms.  
  
"Thanks, Pikachu," he said. "Are you ready to help me get things back on track?"  
  
"Pika-Pika!"  
  
"Good."  
  
"Hey Ash," his father called out to him. "That was mighty touching, son, but I'm afraid you're too late. I already saw your little girlfriend leaving on a boat earlier this afternoon. She's long gone, so you can just forget about her."  
  
"Liar!" Ash shouted, trying to contain his rage. He knew his father was only trying to get to him and further rattle him from his game. He was determined not to let that happen anymore. Ash held comfort in the fact that he knew Misty was coming and he had to keep his mind focussed solely on the match from this point on.  
  
"Believe what you want," David said. "However, it doesn't change the fact that you're still four Pokémon down and I've still got five of mine left. This match is all but over."  
  
"We'll see about that," Ash said, taking the final PokéBall off his belt. He knew only this Pokémon and Pikachu were left, and he had a strong feeling that it would be able to handle a Metagross much better than Pikachu.  
  
"Intermission over," the referee said after blowing his whistle. "Please commence battling again now."  
  
"You heard him," David said to his Metagross, pointing back out to the field. His Pokémon left its trainer's side and walked out of midfield and awaited its next opponent. David watched as his son held the PokéBall he was holding close to his heart before tossing it out.  
  
"I know you can do this," Ash said. "Alright, let's go!"  
  
Ash threw the last of his PokéBall out onto the arena floor. The ball opened up, releasing the Pokémon inside it. Ash watched as the ball flew back into his hand and the Pokémon before him materialized. Charizard let go with a powerful roar and then proceeded to stare Metagross right in the eye. It was ready for this one.  
  
"So, you're going with Charizard," David said. "I could switch Pokémon, but after watching your third round match, I could tell this Charizard in particular is weak and poorly trained. A Steel-type could easily take it down with no problem. I thought my own son would be better than this. I'm disappointed in you, Ash."  
  
"Keep your disappointments to yourself," Ash said. "This Charizard is one of the best in the world, and we're not going to let you just insult it like that. Right, Charizard?"  
  
Charizard sent another powerful roar in the direction of David Ketchum. Ash's father merely laughed it off.  
  
"Whatever you say son," he said. "I think I'll let you have the first move for this one. You're going to need it."  
  
"The first move will be your last mistake," Ash said with a chuckle. "Charizard, let's show 'em who's boss. Fire Blast, now!"  
  
Charizard began to form a ball of fire within its mouth, and seconds later it released it as a wall of flames headed straight towards Metagross. David knew how Metagross liked to handle these situations, so he didn't even bother issuing a command. He simply watched as Metagross tucked each of its four sturdy legs underneath its body and began to float up into the air. Metagross looked down to see the Fire Blast soar below it, completely missing its intended target.  
  
"It flies?!" May exclaimed.  
  
"Well, it's more like hovering," Professor Oak explained. "By tucking its legs underneath its body like that, Metagross gains the ability to negate gravity. How this is possible is still a mystery, though."  
  
"That's a neat trick," Ash said. "However, if you want an air battle, I'm afraid Charizard here rules the skies."  
  
Charizard roared again, blasting off into the air, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. It dashed up just above the ground where Metagross was continuing to hover.  
  
"Flamethrower!" Ash called. Charizard fired another powerful blast of flames towards its foe, but Metagross quickly floated out of the way of the attack and the incoming Charizard as well. Ash's Pokémon quickly righted itself, turning around in midair to face Metagross. Once again it fired with a Flamethower attack, but again Metagross managed to dodge it.  
  
"Metagross is more agile than you might think," David said. "However, I think we've been on the defensive for far too long. Metagross, let's end this! Meteor Mash, now!"  
  
Metagross lowered itself back to the ground, landing in front of its trainer comfortably. It raised its two front legs, the tell-tale sign of an impending Meteor Mash attack. Ash knew this well from watching two of his other Pokémon fall victim to the powerful Steel-type attack.  
  
"Charizard, on the ground!" Ash shouted up into the air to his flying Pokémon. Charizard was a bit confused by its trainer's command. It figured that it would have more room to dodge the attack if it stayed in the air, but Ash knew differently. When those meteors started to rain down, there would be no place to hide.  
  
"Trust me, Charizard," he said. Charizard, though unaware of what its trainer had planned, listened to Ash's commands and landed back on the ground before its own trainer. Ash looked over to his opponent and his Pokémon and watched as Metagross was now bringing its claws forward, thrusting the glowing red orbs above its head at Charizard.  
  
"Take cover!" Ash shouted. Charizard curled itself up, trying to cover as much as its body as it could with its huge wings. Both trainers watched as the Meteor Mash attack struck Charizard and struck hard. The meteors pounded the Fire-type, one after another, until they were no more. All that was visible to the trainers was a cloud of dust that had arisen from the meteor shower given to Charizard. As the dust began to settle, Ash watched with delight as he saw his Pokémon rise form the ground. He could tell it was battered and bruised, but still in fighting condition. Ash breathed a sigh of relief that he at least still had Charizard to battle with.  
  
"Well, looks like Metagross's attack was a bit off," David said. "Lucky for you, but it won't make that mistake again. Finish it off this time!"  
  
Metagross headed the harsh words from its trainer and began to power up yet another Meteor Mash attack.  
  
"If Ash doesn't find a way to stop those attacks," Brock said, "he's not going to last much longer."  
  
"Quick Charizard, Aerial Ace!" Ash shouted. Charizard leapt into the air and flew straight towards Metagross. It proceeded to clip David's Pokémon with the edge of its left wing, disrupting Metagross from powering-up its attack. Charizard circled around and flew at Metagross again, this time clipping it with its right wing.  
  
"Your attacks are useless," David said. "There's barely a scratch on Metagross."  
  
"Maybe so," Ash said, "but it doesn't seem to be in much of an attacking mode now."  
  
Charizard continued to fly circles around its opponent, slicing it with its wings during each pass. This constant barrage of Aerial Ace attacks was leaving Metagross with no time to ready a counterattack. Ash had played Charizard's speed card and it seemed to be working. David was growing agitated as he realized the attacks, along with Metagross expending energy trying to strike back at Charizard, were slowly wearing down his Pokémon. He knew this had to come to a stop now.  
  
"Iron Defense!" David shouted. Metagross dug its claws firmly into the ground and its entire body began to glow with a silver color. Charizard made another pass, preparing to strike again with its speedy Flying-attack. When it did so, its wing was instantly repelled by the Iron Defense of Metagross. Charizard quickly flew to the ground as its left wing was badly damaged and it was having trouble staying in the air.  
  
"Perfect," David said with a smile. "It's now grounded. Crush it, Metagross."  
  
David's Metagross dashed forward, jumping into the air and coming down hard on top of Charizard, pinning Ash's Pokémon on its back. Metagross held one of its front claws down over Charizard's throat, not allowing it go get back onto its feet. It squeezed the metal pincers of that claw hard around Charizard's neck, causing it severe pain. Ash's Pokémon tried to flail its back feet in an attempt to break free but Metagross quickly pinned them down with its own back legs. Raising its other front claw high into the air, it swiftly brought it down and started to savagely beat Charizard with it.  
  
"Hang in there, Charizard!" Ash called. He could tell his Pokémon wasn't going to last long out there if Metagross kept it in that position. Ash tried desperately to think of a way to get Charizard free, but his thoughts were interrupted by a voice from behind him calling his name.  
  
"Ash!" the voice called again. Ash turned around to see someone running out of the tunnel towards him. Not just anybody, though. It was Misty.  
  
"You came back!" Ash exclaimed.  
  
"Of course I did," Misty said, running up to her boyfriend and giving him a big hug. "You know I'm always here for you, and I won't let some stupid fight come between us."  
  
"Thanks," Ash said, turning his attention back to the battle. "I'm glad you're here, because I could really use some support. I'm in big trouble."  
  
"I figured you would be," Misty said, and she stepped back and tried to gauge what the situation was before her. She could see Charizard struggling to try and break free from David's Metagross, but so far it was having no luck. She looked up at the scoreboard to see that Ash was already on his fifth Pokémon of the match and his opponent was only on his second. Suddenly she saw the name of Ash's opponent on the scoreboard.  
  
"Ash, is that man...your father?" she asked.  
  
"I'm afraid so," Ash said. "And so far it's looking like he's the better Pokémon trainer."  
  
"Don't say that!" Misty said. "You still have a chance to win this. You just have to look deep inside yourself and find the power inside. You and Charizard can do this, just look for that strength."  
  
Ash took her advice and looked deep inside. His mind raced with memories of all the experiences he'd had with Charizard. He remembered when he first found the abandoned Charmander that he took into his team. He remembered when Charmander first evolved into Charmeleon, then again into Charizard, and all the problems he had trying to tame it. Almost a year it took him. He even remembered Charizard costing him his final match of the Indigo League competition. Yet he managed to show Charizard, eventually, he was a worthy trainer, and now here they were, battling side-by-side at the Masters Tournament. He knew what he had to do.  
  
"Charizard, you can do it!" Ash called out to his friend. "Find the strength inside! I believe in you!"  
  
Charizard closed its eyes and looked deep inside itself, just like Ash had done. A few seconds later its eyes popped back open, a new fire burning within them. It summoned up all the strength it could, and grasping its claws to Metagross's underside, lifted the heavy Steel-type up. With one quick motion, Charizard tossed it backwards. Metagross slowly righted itself and got back to its feet, wondering just how its opponent had done that. David was equally as shocked.  
  
"Charizard doesn't have that kind of strength!" he said angrily. "There's no way it could lift and throw a Pokémon as heavy as Metagross!"  
  
"You're wrong," Ash said. "Charizard does have the strength. It's the strength that comes from inside, and it's built-up over time through the bond a trainer shares with his Pokémon. You just train Pokémon to be powerful on the outside, but a real Ultimate Master trains a Pokémon's strength on both the outside and inside. Now Charizard and I will show you what it really means to be a team!"  
  
Charizard bellowed a loud roar from its mouth as Ash finished saying that. Suddenly, a wall of flames began to encircle Charizard. The wall circled faster and faster, forming a protective shield around it.  
  
"What's this?!" David exclaimed. Ash didn't know what it was either. In all his years of training Charizard, he had never seen it do anything like this before.  
  
"What's going on?" Gary asked.  
  
"I...I'm not completely sure," Professor Oak said. "I've heard stories, but I've never seen it before in person. Could it really be?"   
  
Gary didn't really know what to make of his grandfather's comments. He simply turned his attention back to the match and continued to be amazed at the spectacle Charizard was putting on.  
  
"I don't care what trick this is!" David shouted. "Metagross, finish it off for good! Psychic attack!"  
  
Metagross powered-up and fired a multicolor beam of psychic energy at its foe. All watched as the Psychic attack connected with the spinning flame shield and simply fizzled out. David's jaw dropped in shock at what he had just witnessed. However, the biggest shock was yet to come. All watched as the flame shield began to fade, and as it did, all could see Charizard still there. Only now, it was glowing a bright, white light. The light began to fill the stadium. People shielded their eyes from its intensity.  
  
"What's happening?" Ash wondered. Everyone else in the stadium was asking themselves that same question.  
  
"Gramps, what's going on with Charizard?" Gary asked.  
  
"It's evolving," Professor Oak said. 


	14. Victory

"Chapter 14: Victory"  
  
"Evolving?!" Gary exclaimed. "But...Charizards can't evolve...can they?"  
  
"Apparently they can," Professor Oak said, still in awe of the spectacle he was witnessing before him. "In the past couple years, it was discovered that Charmander, as well as Bulbasaur and Squirtle, each had another evolution; a third level, if you will. This third level of evolution shocked researchers because no stage of evolution this high had ever been discovered before. I myself have never seen these new evolutions in person, and know very little about any of them."  
  
"Incredible," Brock said.  
  
"You got that right," said Richie.  
  
Ash stood in silent awe down on the field as he watched his Pokémon before him glow in a bright light, slowly growing into a larger, more powerful figure. His father, David, was just as shocked. Everyone in the arena was shocked. No one had foreseen something like this happening today. But it was, right before their very eyes. After a few more seconds, the change was complete. Charizard, or rather its evolved form, had stopped glowing, and its new figure was now there for everyone to see. It had finally sunk into Ash's head; his Charizard had just evolved right there in front of him.  
  
"I don't believe it," Ash said, continuing to gaze upon Charizard's new form. It stood about 12 feet high, much larger than its previous size as a Charizard. Its wingspan was now doubled, and the edges of them looked razor-sharp as the Pokémon flexed those very wings. Ash could see the long, needle-pointed claws at the end of each of its hands. Its jaw was just a ferocious, with long, pointed teeth extending down from the top jaw well below the outside of the bottom. Strangest of all, it had two tails, and swung them back and forth before Ash. Each tail had it own flame on it, which burned larger and brighter than Charizard's flame. Slowly, Ash reached for his Pokédex, hoping it would tell him something about this Pokémon.  
  
"Charmodo," the Pokédex said. "The evolved form of Charizard. Few of these Pokémon have ever been seen. It displays qualities of both Fire and Dragon types, however, nothing else is currently known about this Pokémon."  
  
"Charmodo," Ash said. He watched as Charmodo shifted its head to look Ash straight in the eye. Ash started to wonder if Charmodo was even going to listen to him. When Charmander evolved into Charmeleon, it didn't listen to him, and when it evolved into Charizard, its obedience got even worse. Ash was hoping deep inside that Charizard had evolved for him and that it hadn't forgot that now that it was a Charmodo. The two continued to stare each other right in the eye until Charmodo flashed Ash a smile, easing of all Ash's fears. The young Pokémon trainer breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Well, now I've seen everything," the announcer said. "A Charizard has just evolved before our very eyes here at the Pokémon Masters Tournament. As soon as he get some information on this new Pokémon, we'll be sure to pass it your way, but for now, I think we're all interested to see how David Ketchum responds to this new development.  
  
"Impressive," David said. "Most impressive. However, it makes no difference. This match has already shifted too far in my direction to go back now. Metagross, Meteor Mash!"  
  
Metagross began to prepare its powerful meteor attack, but Charmodo would have none of that. It turned its attention back towards its opponent, and after inhaling deeply, it blasted a hot streak of flames at David's Metagross. After the storm of fire let up, everyone could see the blackened, badly singed body of Metagross. David couldn't believe it. That new Pokémon of Ash's had just annihilated one of David's strongest Pokémon in a single shot.  
  
"Metagross can no longer battle," the referee said. "The, uh, other Pokémon wins."  
  
"It's a Charmodo!" Ash called out to the referee to indicate him of its name.  
  
"Thanks," the referee replied.  
  
"So, that's the way you want to play it," David said. "Fine, we'll match Dragon vs. Dragon. Salamence, I choose you!"  
  
David tossed out his next Pokémon, which contained the fearsome Dragon-type, Salamence. It immediately flew out of the ball and high above the stadium. A few seconds later it soared back down to ground level and took its place before the waiting Charmodo.  
  
"David has called out his Salamence," the announcer said. "Will it, or anything for that matter, be able to handle Charmodo?"  
  
"Alright, Salamence," David said. "No more fooling around. Let's show them what a real Dragon Pokémon can do. Dragon Claw!"  
  
Salamence flapped its rather large wings and took off into the air, flying towards its opponent. It held its sharp claws out before it and proceeded to fly straight into Charmodo, digging its powerful claws right into its scaly skin. It let go and flew backwards, wanting to see how Charmodo handled the Dragon Claw attack. It looked up and saw Charmodo was barely fazed by it at all.  
  
"Grr, try again!" David shouted. Salamence once again flew towards Charmodo, preparing to attack with another Dragon Claw. This time, however, Charmodo caught it in midair, preventing it from launching a strike.  
  
"Good job, Charmodo," Ash said. "Now show them your Dragon Claw."  
  
Charmodo tossed Salamence away from its body, and then lunged forward, lashing out at it with its own claws. It landed a perfect strike in Salamence's midsection, which sent David's Pokémon soaring backwards to the ground. David looked on intently, hoping his Pokémon would get back up and put up a bit more of a fight, but it couldn't. It was no match at all for Charmodo, and promptly fainted on the spot.  
  
"Salamence has been defeated," the referee said.  
  
"And just like that, David is down to three Pokémon," the announcer said. "His next Pokémon better be something good, because I honestly don't see how Charmodo can be beaten at this point. This match has taken a decided turn in Ash's favor."  
  
"You're doing great, Charmodo!" Ash cheered. "Keep it up!"  
  
"Let's see it handle a Water type!" David said, desperation growing in his voice. He quickly threw his next PokéBall out onto the field, eager to get rid of this new menace. Emerging from the ball was the ever-frightening Gyarados. It let out a huge roar as it floated in the air, just above field level.  
  
"Show them what you got," David said. "Hydro Pump!"  
  
Gyarados fired a massive blast of water from its mouth, which soared across the field and right at Charmodo. It connected with the large Fire-type, causing it to recoil slightly, but overall it was unharmed.  
  
"This can't be happening!" David yelled. Ash could only smile as he watched his father slowly lose his grip on the match. David was beginning to grow more desperate now. Desperate, and furious.  
  
"Gyarados, Hyper Beam attack!" he shouted. "Obliterate it!"  
  
Gyarados floated back a bit, charging up its powerful Hyper Beam. Charmodo just watched it do so, and flexed its wings a bit as it did, almost looking like it had no interest in the oncoming attack. David's eyes narrowed as he watched Gyarados unleash its blast, which shot like a cannon out of its mouth. The next thing David realized was that Charmodo was gone. He looked around for it, finally spotting it flying in the air above the ground. It had completely avoided the attack. David knew he was in trouble now. Gyarados was completely vulnerable, as it now had to recharge.  
  
"Nice try," Ash said. "Charmodo, give it a Hyper Beam of your own!"  
  
Charmodo landed back on the ground and opened its mouth. David could see a ball of energy building up within it. In a matter of seconds, it was all over. Charmodo's Hyper Beam struck Gyarados, instantly knocking it out. Extremely frustrated, David recalled Gyarados and realized, that with only two Pokémon left, he really only had but one choice.  
  
"This...ends...now," he said, taking his next PokéBall from his jacket. He said nothing and tossed it out onto the field. The Pokémon that came out of it was another one Ash was unfamiliar with. The red-colored Pokémon was shaped like large ball, with crater-like holes dotting its skin. Light smoke was billowing out of each hole. Ash could see two glowing blue eyes on the front of its body, and a mouth too. It stood on four sharply clawed legs, and it had a tail.  
  
"What in the world is that?" Ash asked.  
  
"Meet Flamburst," David said. "I really didn't want it to come to this, Ash, but you left me no choice. I thought my other Pokémon were capable of handling your new Charmodo, but I underestimated it and I underestimated you."  
  
"Big mistake," said Ash. "Though I doubt your Flamburst is going to fair any different."  
  
"True enough. The end result will be just like the others. Flamburst will faint, but then again, that's the point."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Do you know what they call Flamburst, Ash? It's known as the Kamikaze Pokémon. Because it has the unique type combination of Fire and Poison, its body is extremely unstable, and can explode without warning, or on command."  
  
"Uh-oh," Ash said, realizing just what his father was planning to do. He knew he couldn't take down Charmodo in a standard fight, so he was going to have a Pokémon go down and take Charmodo with it. Ash knew he couldn't sit idly as this was about to happen.  
  
"Charmodo, you've got to--"  
  
"Flamburst!" David shouted loudly, cutting off his son's words. "Explosion!"  
  
Flamburst's body began to glow a darker shade of red. Soon flashes of light were shooting out of its holes on its body. Ash knew the explosion was imminent, and there was nothing he could do except hope that Charmodo would be all right. He grabbed Pikachu and turned away from the field, wanting to make sure it wasn't injured in the blast. Then he heard it. The loud sonic boom of an Explosion attack. It ripped through the arena, and Ash could feel a cloud of dust rushing up and striking him in the back. He closed his eyes and waited for it to end. A few seconds later he opened them and turned around. The field was still covered in dust, and he waited for it to settle so he could see just what was the outcome of the blast. When the dust did fall back to the ground, he could see Charmodo. It was lying on the ground, its eyes shut. It lay there motionless. Ash rushed to its side to see if it was okay. He could tell it was still breathing, but he knew Charmodo's run in the tournament was over.  
  
"Both Charmodo and Flamburst have fainted," the referee said. "Double Knockout!"  
  
"In a last ditch effort to defeat Charmodo," the announcer said, "David Ketchum sacrifices one of his Pokémon with a huge Explosion. Now both trainers are down to their final Pokémon. It all comes down to this, folks. A one-on-one showdown to determine the next Ultimate Master."  
  
"Thank you, Charmodo," Ash said, taking out its PokéBall and recalling it. "You did your best, and I'm proud of you. Thanks for giving me a chance."  
  
Ash walked back to his Trainer's box and turned to stare down his father. He looked across the field towards him, and noticed that cocky, confident smile of his father's was back. David had the feeling the match was now his. Ash could sense that in his eyes, and knew he was going to have to give it his all if he wanted to come out on top.  
  
"Pikachu," he said, "it's time. It's all up to you, buddy. I know you'll make me proud, win or lose."  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu said, reassuring its trainer that it could do this. Pikachu rushed out to centerfield, eager to finally participate in this final match.  
  
"Let me ask you something, Ash," David said. "You and that Pikachu seem really close. By any chance, was it your first Pokémon?"  
  
"Yes, it was," Ash said. "It was given to me by Professor Oak on my first day as a Pokémon trainer, and we've been pals ever since."  
  
"Interesting," David said. "You know, Professor Oak gave me my first Pokémon too. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to see what it is."  
  
David Ketchum took the final PokéBall off of his leather jacket. He smiled as he held it before him for Ash to see. Ash was wondering what Pokémon his father was first given. Was it Bulbasaur? Charmander? Squirtle? It had to be one of them, and would surely be fully evolved by now. He hoped it was Blastoise that he'd be facing next. Pikachu would have a chance then. If he was going to send out a Venusaur or Charizard, well, Pikachu could be--  
  
David threw the PokéBall out onto the field. Ash waited to see what would materialize out of it. Slowly the red energy that had escaped the ball was taking form. A Pokémon, Pikachu's size, began to appear. Ash's jaw dropped once it has finished materializing and he realized what it was: a Pikachu.  
  
"Y-your first Pokémon was a...Pikachu?" Ash asked.  
  
"Yes," David said. "Same as you."  
  
Everyone sitting around Professor Oak in the stands turned to him for an explanation.  
  
"What?" the Professor wondered. "He showed up late all I had left was a Pikachu. Wait, that was just like Ash. Ha, what are the odds of that!"  
  
"Figures," Gary said.  
  
"Here we go, everyone," said the announcer. "It's Pikachu vs. Pikachu, father vs. son, with the Masters Tournament championship hanging in the balance."  
  
"Alright, Pikachu," Ash said. "If we just believe in ourselves, he can't win."  
  
Pikachu nodded in agreement with its trainer. It was given inspiration by Charizard and was determined to win this thing for its trainer.  
  
"Start off with Agility!" Ash called. Pikachu dashed like lightning towards its fellow Pikachu.  
  
"Double Team," David said. Ash's Pikachu came to a stop as David's was beginning to run circles around it, creating the illusion of multiple Pikachu. It knew it would have to pick the right one, or it would be vulnerable to attack. It twirled around, trying to locate the real Pikachu.  
  
The attack came suddenly, from the left. David's Pikachu stopped its Double Team and slammed itself into Ash's Pikachu. Ash gritted his teeth, feeling stupid for being led into a trap like that. His father only acted like he was going on the defensive, but instead attacked when they both least expected it. Ash watched as Pikachu got back up onto it feet. He knew it was his turn to go on the offensive.  
  
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" he called.  
  
"Pikachu, use your Thunderbolt!" David yelled. Both Pikachu's cheeks began to spark as they stared each other down. They launched their attacks at the same time and watched as they collided in the space between them. They both fizzled out, neutralizing each other in midair.  
  
"Another Thunderbolt!" David called.  
  
"Pikachu, Light Screen!" Ash shouted. Pikachu closed its eyes and generated a shield of light in front of it, which protected it from the incoming electrical attack, which struck the screen and disappeared.  
  
"Brick Break, now!" David yelled. His Pikachu leapt into the air towards the Light Screen, its fist extended. It flew right through the barrier, completely shattering it and continuing to come straight at Ash's Pikachu. It had no time to react as David's Pokémon connected with its fist, knocking Ash's Pikachu backwards.  
  
"Shake it off," Ash said. "Use your Iron Tail!"  
  
Pikachu got back onto its feet with its tail starting to turn silver in color. It turned and swiped its tail at the other Pikachu, nailing it right in the stomach area. David's Pikachu tumbled backwards. It was injured but still was able to fight. It stood up again and stared down Ash's Pikachu. The two Electric Pokémon looked each other fiercely in the eye while panting heavily. Both were growing tired but neither was going to give up. A different strategy crossed Ash's mind.  
  
"Pikachu, use Charge," he said. Pikachu nodded its head and began to spark its red cheeks. Soon its whole body was glowing yellow.  
  
"Don't let it power-up!" David shouted. His Pikachu tried to obey its trainer's command, dashing towards Ash's and preparing to Quick Attack it. Ash's Pikachu jumped out of the way of the attack and continued to charge.  
  
"Keep going, Pikachu," Ash said.  
  
"Get it now!" David screamed, growing extremely agitated. His Pikachu tried again to attack but it was moving much too slow now. It was being to tire. Ash's Pikachu kept charging. David's Pikachu made one final attempt to stop it but missed. Ash sensed it was time.  
  
"Pikachu, finish it off with Shock Wave!"  
  
Pikachu smiled as it finished charging. "Pika...CHUUUUUU!" it screamed as it unleashed it stored electrical energy towards the other Pikachu. David tried yelling something but his shouts went unheard over the sound of the electrical crackling of the attack. He could only watch and hope his Pikachu would dodge the attack. The electrical blast connected with David's Pikachu. Ash's tried to pour on the juice as much as possible. It was beginning to grow weary itself. Ash could see he had overloaded it.  
  
"Pikachu, stop!" he shouted, hoping it wasn't too late. Pikachu ceased it Shock Wave. He saw his father's Pikachu, surging with electrical energy, still standing. Barely standing, mind you, but it was still on its feet. He watched as his Pikachu tried to shake off its weariness. Both trainers knew their Pokémon were at the breaking point. Each could faint at any moment. Both Pokémon tried desperately to keep from losing consciousness. Finally, one could stand no longer. It fell over to the ground, completely exhausted. There it fainted. The tournament was at an end.   
  
"This match is over," the referee said. "The winner of the Pokemon Masters Tournament is Ash Ketchum!"  
  
Ash didn't know how to react. He had won. He stood there, silent. He heard nothing. He didn't even hear the deafening roar of the crowd's jubilation. He was finally knocked back into reality by Misty rushing up and giving him a huge hug.  
  
"You did it, Ash!" she cried. "You did it!"  
  
"I...I did it," Ash said. "I can't believe it. I did it!"  
  
"He's done it, folks!" the announcer shouted. "Ash Ketchum has won the Pokémon Masters Tournament with a thrilling come-from-behind victory against his own father! This has got to go down as the most exciting Masters Tournament finals ever!"  
  
Ash ran to pick up Pikachu. He held the tired Pokémon in his arms, giving it a huge hug for a job well done.  
  
"Thanks, buddy," Ash said. "I couldn't have done it without you."  
  
"Pika..." Pikachu said weakly, though with a smile.  
  
"No!" David Ketchum shouted from his knees, slamming his fist into the ground. "No, this can't be happening! This was supposed to be my turn! After all these years, I was supposed to win!"  
  
He looked up to see his son standing in front of him. David rose to his feet and watched as his son extended his hand towards him.  
  
"Great match, Dad," he said. David didn't move for a few seconds. Finally, he took Ash's hand and shook it.  
  
"Great match, son," he said. "You are the better trainer. You deserve to win. I still do have a lot to learn about Pokémon, and what it means to be a father. Only in defeat I finally see this. Funny how it's always that way, huh?"  
  
"Yeah," Ash said as they finished their handshake. The father and son looked each other in the eyes one last time.  
  
"Until we meet again, Ash," David said. Ash nodded, then watched as his father turned around, stopping to pick up his Pikachu, and walked off the field into the darkness of the tunnel in front of them. Ash closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He opened them, looking up into the stands to where he knew his family and friends were watching him the whole match. They weren't there.  
  
"Ash!" a voice shouted from behind him. He turned around, and there was his mother, running up to him and giving him a hug. "I knew you could do it. All you had to do was believe in yourself."  
  
"I know, Mom," Ash said. "Thanks."  
  
"Way to go, man," Brock said, patting him on the back.  
  
"Yeah, congratulations," said Richie.  
  
"I didn't think you could ever do it," Gary said. "I'm glad you proved me wrong once again. You're one heck of a trainer."  
  
"Of course he is!" May said, yanking him away and giving Ash a hug.  
  
"Good job, Ash," Professor Oak said. "I knew you would make us all proud."  
  
"Thanks, everyone," Ash said. "I couldn't have done it without all your support, especially from one person in particular. If you'll excuse me, there's something I need to do."  
  
Ash walked over to where Misty was standing. She was still smiling, as was Ash. He stood before her and took her hand.  
  
"Misty," he said. "This whole experience has made me realize just how important you are to me. I know it's always seemed like I have Pokémon on the brain, but there's something more important to me that being a Pokémon trainer, and that's you. You've always been there for me, even when I didn't deserve to have you by my side. I hope you always will be. Misty...will you marry me?"  
  
Misty was taken completely by surprise. She hadn't expected this. But, it was a good surprise. Something she had always hoped for. And now it was here.  
  
"Of course I will, Ash!" she said, lunging forward to kiss him. They kissed for what seemed like hours, though it was only a few seconds. Finally they let up and looked each other in the eye.  
  
"Come on," Misty said. "We've got a lot of celebrating to do."  
  
*****  
  
"And now," Mr. Ishihara said, "I give you Ultimate Master Ash Ketchum!"  
  
Ash smiled as he walked up to the podium located at the center of Legends Stadium. He walked slowly, taking in as much as the moment as he could. He reached the place where Mr. Ishihara was standing, and shook his hand.  
  
"Ash," he said, "you have shown great spirit and determination here at the Masters Tournament. You and your Pokémon battled bravely, with honor and sportsmanship, and now you will be forever remembered for your great achievement here today. It is my honor to bestow on you the rank of Ultimate Master, and present you with the Masters Tournament cup. Congratulations, Ash."  
  
Mr. Ishihara reached behind him and picked up the bowl-shaped, silver-colored metallic trophy. Ash took the trophy by its two handles and lifted it high above his head. The crowed cheered wildly, as did Ash's friends and family. Back in Pallet Town, Tracey and all of Ash's Pokémon cheered as well. They cheered because today, they had witnessed history. They had witnessed a talented Pokémon trainer achieve his dream. But most of all, they cheered because they saw the one they loved come out a champion, a winner, a hero, as they all dreamed he one day would. Today was that day. Today, Ash Ketchum had become an Ultimate Master.  
  
The End. 


End file.
